Kyrgyzstan's president, Askar Akayev, has ordered authorities to review results from recent parliamentary elections. The vote sparked days of protest with the opposition charging fraud and manipulation. The order for the review comes after Kyrgyzstan's political opposition seized control of government headquarters in the country's second largest city, Osh.
Hoping to stem rising public discontent over the election results, President Akayev ordered the Central Election Commission and the Supreme Court to investigate opposition charges of wrongdoing.
According to a presidential statement, Mr. Akayev ordered authorities to pay particular attention to the areas experiencing public protests. Thousands of people have taken part in anti-government demonstrations since this weekend.
Mr. Akayev's spokesman, Abdil Segizbayev, accuses the opposition of unleashing the unrest in the south of the country in a deliberate attempt to undermine the government.
Mr. Segizbayev did not say whether the government will accept the opposition's calls for dialogue, as the United States is urging.