Kyrgyz Ex-Opposition Starts to Splinter

Former opposition leaders who took power here last week after protests ousted President Askar A. Akayev were at risk Sunday of splitting into rival camps.

The political contest pitted an outgoing parliament against a new parliament chosen in disputed elections that sparked the political crisis. On Sunday, former opposition leader Felix Kulov, newly appointed as chief of security forces, shocked many of his supporters by bluntly declaring that the outgoing parliament must yield authority to the new legislators, who are strongly pro-Akayev.

It was not immediately clear whether Kulov’s statement marked a split with acting President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, a fellow opposition leader who, along with the old parliament, elevated Kulov. The putative allies are currently the country’s two most powerful leaders -- and also are potential rivals in a presidential election tentatively set for June 26.

Akayev supporters, meanwhile, have been pressing their own bid for political dominance. They were backed Sunday by the country’s Central Election Commission, which issued a decision assigning legitimacy to the new parliament, thereby throwing the issue back into legal limbo. The Supreme Court had issued a ruling last week that favored the old parliament.

All sides, however, said they feared that a three-way struggle for power could lead to renewed street protests and violent clashes, and key figures said they expected a compromise aimed at restoring stability and ending the risk of civil war.

Opposition protests sparked by parliamentary balloting on Feb. 27 and March 13 reached the capital last week, and on Thursday demonstrators took over government offices, prompting Akayev’s flight. Disarray has ensued, as political foes try to sort out a new power structure.

Kulov, who had been jailed by Akayev, was released from prison by protesters Thursday and within hours was named security chief.

In an appearance before the old parliament Sunday, Kulov declared, “The new parliament is legitimate, and the old parliament’s term has expired. If you call people out onto the streets, I’ll take measures to arrest you. Please don’t be offended.”

The statement provoked outrage among some of his supposed allies. Acting Prosecutor-General Azimbek Beknazarov challenged Kulov, saying: “These are the people who freed you. Will you arrest them?”

“I am too tired. I apologize for that,” Kulov replied, in effect saying he was sorry for the tone of his remarks but not for their content.

Beknazarov urged anti-Akayev forces to remain united. “If we do not agree [among ourselves], we will not avoid a civil war,” he said.

Kulov said he had spoken without having time to consult with Bakiyev. The acting president made no public response Sunday to Kulov’s statement, but he had indicated Saturday that power could be passed to the new parliament once arguments over disputed seats were resolved.

However, key parliament members from the former opposition circulated a statement blasting Kulov’s stance as “part of a general counterrevolutionary plan to bring back the Akayev regime and bury the revolutionary hopes of the people for a better life.”

Akayev, 60, had been president since 1990, when Kyrgyzstan was still part of the Soviet Union. He is believed to be in Russia. He was among the less authoritarian leaders in a region known for strongman rule.

Kyrgyzstan is a predominantly Muslim country of 5 million people near Afghanistan, China and key oil-producing nations of the Caspian Sea region. Both the United States and Russia maintain military bases here.

Domestic and foreign pro- democracy advocates had hoped that a smooth transfer of power from Akayev to a successor through presidential elections would set a precedent for the region. Now, there are fears that some Central Asian leaders might adopt harsher political controls in the belief that free speech and unchecked opposition activity could pose a threat to their rule.

A successful transition to more democratic rule in Kyrgyzstan, on the other hand, could provide a beachhead for democracy and greater U.S. influence in Central Asia.

The decision to hold a June presidential election was made Saturday by the old parliament, and it was uncertain whether that schedule would remain valid if power passed to the newly elected body.

Bakiyev said Saturday that he planned to run in the June election but made no public comments Sunday. Kulov, in an interview Sunday with a Georgian television station, said he had not yet decided whether to run.

The apparent tension between Kulov and Bakiyev may reflect the deep divisions between north and south Kyrgyzstan. Kulov is from the north, as is Akayev, while Bakiyev and most other former opposition leaders are from the south, where the revolt against Akayev’s rule began. The new parliament, packed with allies of Akayev, might be more cooperative with Kulov than with Bakiyev as the next elected president. Bakiyev has also been empowered as acting prime minister.