Kyrgyz, regional officials discuss country’s crisis

A senior Kyrgyz security official spoke by phone Thursday with Russia and Kazakhstan’s intelligence chiefs as protests continued in Kyrgyzstan following disputed parliamentary elections. 

Kyrgyzstan’s Acting Secretary of the Security Council Omurbek Suvanaliev, Aleksandr Bortnikov, the head of Russia's Federal Security Service, and Kazakhstan's National Security Committee Chairman Karim Massimov discussed the recent situation in Kyrgyzstan, according to the Kyrgyz State Committee for National Security.

Suvanaliev underlined that Kyrgyzstan’s security forces have sufficient manpower and equipment to control the situation.

After leaving his position as deputy secretary of the Security Council to participate in the elections, Suvanaliev was on Tuesday temporarily appointed as secretary of the Kyrgyz Security Council and began acting as the coordinator of the country’s security units.

He also met with the heads of relevant departments of the National Security State Committee and officials of other security institutions at the committee building.

A protocol consisting of 12 items was adopted in the meeting to ensure order and security in the country.

It was emphasized in the protocol that the security units should act jointly to ensure stability and politicians should work together to stabilize the country.

The talks also addressed national security, the fight against terrorism and extremism and cooperation in the fight against international criminal organizations.

Ozonnia Ojielo, UN Resident Coordinator and Representative of the UN Secretary General in the Kyrgyz Republic, met earlier with Suvanaliev, expressing the UN’s concern about the current situation in the country. He noted that the UN is ready to provide any kind of support.

Kyrgyzstan is witnessing mass protests against the results of the Oct. 4 parliamentary elections.

Demonstrators, who broke into parliament and other buildings, clashed with police and demanded a new vote, forced Prime Minister Kubatbek Boronov and Parliament Speaker Dastan Jumabekov to step down.

Boronov has been replaced by Sadyr Japarov, who protesters released from jail on Tuesday.

The Central Election Commission also declared the election results invalid shortly after President Sooronbay Jeenbekov asked the commission to thoroughly investigate alleged violations.