Ousted Kyrgyz president talks with interim figure after gunfire breaks out at his rally

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Gunfire at deposed president’s rally in Kyrgyzstan

OSH, Kyrgyzstan — Hours after gunfire disrupted a rally where deposed Kyrgyz president Kurmanbek Bakiyev was trying to marshal support Thursday, he said he had held brief talks with a representative of the interim government that wants him either tried or exiled.

It was the first known contact between Bakiyev and the opposition figures who claimed power last week when he fled the capital because of a bloody uprising.

Bakiyev’s efforts to gather support in Kyrgyzstan’s south, his clan power base, suffered a severe blow in the morning when he tried to speak to a rally in Osh, the region’s biggest city. Within a few moments of his taking the stage, gunfire split the air and he was hustled into a car and driven away.

Witnesses said the shots came from his bodyguards who may have been frightened by a group of Bakiyev opponents who were approaching the rally.

Although there were no reports of injuries, the gunfire underlined the tensions that persist in the second week of the crisis in the ex-Soviet Central Asian country, where both the United States and Russia have military bases.

The U.S. air base near the capital, which is important in the NATO campaign against the Taliban in Afghanistan, has resumed full operations, the U.S. Embassy said in a statement Thursday.

“Refueling operations continue as usual and the transit of troops has resumed,” the embassy said.

The troop transports to and from Afghanistan had been suspended since last week, other than a brief resumption Friday to fly a few hundred troops from the base back to the U.S.

After the gunfire, Bakiyev returned to his village of Teyit, then left again in the afternoon. On his return, he told The Associated Press he had met with a representative of the provisional government. He said he had insisted that further talks be held on neutral territory and suggested neighboring Kazakhstan.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake, who is visiting Kyrgyzstan, said he had discussed Bakiyev’s situation with Kazakh officials in Kazakhstan’s role as chairman of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported. Kazakhstan’s role as a regional power could give it influence in finding a solution to the crisis.

Bakiyev was driven from the capital, Bishkek, April 7 after a protest boiled over into gunfire; protesters then stormed government buildings. At least 83 people died in the violence.

Because he had to flee Thursday’s rally in his backers’ heartland, Bakiyev suffered a significant setback in his effort to claim he is still the legitimate president.

“I think the end of this situation has taken place. He is locked behind the doors of his home,” said Roza Otunbayeva, leader of the opposition figures who claimed power after Bakiyev left Bishkek.

“He killed all those young people. All the people are against him. How can he even turn up here?” said Alikh Mansurov, an unemployed Osh resident.

It remains unclear how much support Bakiyev has among the military and police. In order to reach the Osh rally from his hometown, Bakiyev and his convoy had to pass through at least four checkpoints, one of which was heavily armed with three armored personnel carriers and about 20 machine guns.

No arrest warrant has been issued for Bakiyev, but one is in effect for his brother Zhanybek, a former head of the state guard service, who was among those in the convoy.

Bakiyev has said he would be willing to resign if security guarantees were given to him and close relatives. The interim authorities have offered him such guarantees but refused them for his family.

They also say Bakiyev must leave the country or face prosecution; his opponents blame him not only for last week’s violence but also for widespread corruption.

Bakiyev has shown no willingness to leave Kyrgyzstan, and no country has publicly offered shelter.

He spoke late Wednesday by telephone with Vladimir Putin, the Russian prime minister’s office said Thursday, noting that the call was made on Bakiyev’s initiative. No details were given.

Earlier in the day, Putin had met with a member of the provisional Kyrgyz government who had come to Moscow to seek financial assistance. Russia responded with promises of $50 million in aid and loans and 25,000 tons of fuel to help with the spring planting.

Associated Press Writers Alexander Merkushev in Teyit and Leila Saralayeva and Yuras Karmanau in Bishkek contributed to this report.