Kyrgyz opposition forms interim government, president refuses to step down

BISHKEK, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Kyrgyz opposition parties on Thursday formed an interim coalition government, while President Kurmanbek Bakiyev refused to step down after clashes that left at least 75 people dead and another 1,000 injured.

The interim government led by former Foreign Minister Roza Otunbayeva would replace the government of Bakiyev, who fled the capital to southern Kyrgyzstan after a day of bloody unrest.

Otunbayeva announced the new government at a press conference inside the parliament building, saying she would be the prime minister. She said the new government controlled four of the seven provinces and called on Bakiyev to resign.

The new government would rule the impoverished Central Asian nation of 5 million people for six months before calling new elections, Otunbayeva said.

Otunbayeva, leader of the Social Democratic faction, also said that the parliament has been dissolved.

Kyrgyz opposition parties have taken over responsibilities of the president and the government after forming an interim coalition government led by Otunbayeva, an opposition leader said Thursday.

The previous government has resigned, the opposition leader said.

Meanwhile, Bakiyev refused to step down and said the opposition should be responsible for the deteriorating situation.

Bakiyev said in a statement published by the 24. kg news agency that "I declare that I did not resign nor do I resign as president."

However, he also admitted that he was not able to alter the current political situation.

Bakiyev said in the statement that he would be responsible for the bloody clashes in the country if the violence was proved triggered by him.

"I am ready to bear liability for the recent tragic events if it is proved through an objective investigation, not using presidential immunity as a cover," Bakiyev said in the statement emailed to the Kyrgyz news agency.

Bakiyev in fact has no power to control the situation in the central Asian state, according to the report.

The president said if the situation in the country continued to deteriorate opposition leaders must be responsible, the report said.

During an interview with the Russian radio station Echo Moskvy on Thursday, Bakiyev said that "foreign forces" intervened in the violence in his country.