In his first appearance in Belarusian exile, former Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev has denied he quit last week, AP reports:
He told reporters Wednesday in Minsk that he is still "the legitimate president of Kyrgyzstan," and described the interim government controling Bishkek as a "gang of imposters."
As the interim government struggles to exert control, Bakiyev's defiance may stoke more instability, especially in his home region of Jalal-Abad where his supporters say they have appointed their own pro-Bakiyev governor.
Bakiyev was run out of Bishkek in a wave of violence that claimed at least 85 lives on April 7. Interim leader Roza Otunbayeva says he faxed a letter of resignation last week. See the letter here.
David Trilling is Eurasianet’s managing editor.
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