Jalal-abad Akimat Stormed by Bakiyev Supporters

About 600 people stormed the governor's compound, or Akimat, on May 13 in Jalal-abad, Kyrgyzstan, chanting the name of former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev as they ousted Provisional Governor Bektur Asanov. The unrest, which lasted under two hours, mirrored events in Batken and Osh provinces, whose regional leaders surrendered authority under similar pressure.

"We want our president back," one Jalal-abad protester said. "We elected him as a president, 75 percent of the people elected him. Where are our rights?”

Bakiyev, who continues to enjoy some support in the south of Kyrgyzstan where he is from, has been in exile in Belarus since the riots that led to his ouster last month. President Roza Otunbayeva, the head of Kyrgyzstan's provisional government, has made a public statement promising to stop any attempts to destabilize the country.