President Sooronbai Jeenbekov of Kyrgyzstan declared a state of emergency Friday due to growing protests in the capital city of Bishkek, according to reports.
The President called on military forces to put an end to clashes between rival political groups, per Reuters. Members of various factions have been throwing rocks and bottles at each other and there have been reports of gunfire, with one opposition politician wounded in the fighting, according to a Reuters reporter in the city.
Unrest has been growing since parliamentary elections last Sunday that critics have said were rigged. The state of emergency will implement tighter security restrictions and institute an 8pm curfew until October 21st, Reuters reports.
People protesting the results of a parliamentary election in Kyrgyzstan broke into government and security headquarters and freed a former president from custody, local news websites said https://t.co/Vq0rKqYbok pic.twitter.com/V8ag1KMzjC
— Reuters (@Reuters) October 6, 2020
Jeenbekov has said he will resign from office once a new cabinet is appointed by parliament, according to Reuters. The parliament is planning to meet Saturday to begin that process, according to local news outlet Akipress.
The Kremlin has said that the Kyrgyzstan government needs to prevent chaos, calling the situation in the former Soviet republic a “mess,” per Reuters. The events in Bishkek come while chaos continues to erupt in Belarus over a contested election, and armed conflict worsens to the west between Armenia and Azerbaijan.