schema:articleBody
| - Anti-government protesters in Kyrgyzstan seized the building housing the country's parliament and presidential administration on Tuesday, local media reported, after demonstrations over a disputed parliamentary election. Photos published by Radio Free Europe's Kyrgyz service showed protesters walking around the country's main house of government. Several local media outlets also reported the seizure. An eyewitness who took part in the seizure, who asked to remain anonymous, told AFP that protesters from a 2,000 strong crowd broke the gates of the building. "Nobody was trying to protect it when the crowd entered," the eyewitness said. "We stopped, sang the national anthem and entered the building without any resistance," he said, adding that there were only "technical staff" inside the building who soon vacated the premises. The storming of the building followed hours of clashes between police and protesters after a rally organised by parties that failed to win seats in the 120-member parliament after Sunday's election. Health authorities said at least 120 people, half of whom were law enforcement, were hospitalised with injuries from the violence. An opposition leader and lawmaker in the outgoing parliament, Janar Akayev, sustained an injury in the leg from a rubber bullet, his party said. He was campaigning for the Ata-Meken party, one of several high profile parties that failed to win seats in Sunday's poll, which has seen two parties close to President Sooronbai Jeenbekov dominate the preliminary count. Jeenbekov's office was unreachable as footage on social media showed protesters celebrating their capture of the building, known as the White House. One photo showed a man kicking a portrait of the president. Jeenbekov said Monday that he would meet with all 16 parties who competed in the vote on Tuesday morning in what appeared a bid to defuse tensions over the elections. tol-cr/gle
|