Text of report by the Kyrgyz newspaper 'Vecherniy Bishkek'

[newspaper headline] Democrats are uniting in a bloc
The leaders of five Kyrgyz parties on Saturday [21st January] circulated a
statement against the arrest of a deputy of the Supreme Council
[parliament], Daniyar Usenov, the leader of the (Poor and Unprotected)
People's Party of Kyrgyzstan.

The party leaders announced their intention to set up a "single bloc of
progressive forces of Kyrgyzstan. The main task of the bloc will be to
protect the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the constitution and to
observe lawfulness and democracy".
The statement was signed by the (Poor and Unprotected) People's Party, the

(?Kayran El) [Poor Nation] Party , the Democratic Movement of Kyrygzstan
Party, the Ar-Namys [Honour] Party and the Party of Kyrgyzstan's
Republicans [set up at the `Res Publica' newspaper, leader is Giyaz
Tokombayev]. [item faxed by Kabar news agency] [page 1]

Source: 'Vecherniy Bishkek', Bishkek, in Russian 24 Jan 00 p1
BBC Mon CAU 240100/** JF/MK