Anti-Akaeva Protesters Picket Kyrgyz Parliament

15 April 2005 (RFE/RL) -- A crowd of people picketed the parliament building in Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek today, protesting the return of Bermet Akaeva, the daughter of former President Askar Akaev, who was ousted last month.

At least 300 people were demanding that Akaeva be denied a seat in parliament that she won in controversial elections that led to the overthrow of her father's administration on 24 March.

Akaeva returned unexpectedly yesterday and attended a session of parliament. She received her deputy mandate before last month's power shift. But parliamentary speaker Omurbek Tekebaev said yesterday that Akaeva had not yet assumed her duties as a lawmaker because she has not yet taken the oath of office.

(RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service/ITAR-TASS/AFP)

For more background on the crisis in Kyrgyzstan, see RFE/RL's dedicated website "Revolution In Kyrgyzstan."