The secretary-general of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Jan Kubis, has arrived in Kyrgyzstan, three days after President Askar Akayev was driven from office.
The organization's representative in Central Asia (Alojz Peterle) said on Sunday Mr. Kubis plans to hold talks with the new leadership to help resolve the country's deepening political crisis. Feuding to fill the power vacuum has already broken out in parliament. Deputies of the outgoing chamber and those elected in this month's disputed run-off elections vied for legitimacy during competing sessions of the rival assemblies. But the new deputies appear to be gaining upper hand, after key opposition leader Felix Kulov and the central electoral commission voiced their support for the new chamber. Mr. Kulov warned the old parliament that ignoring the results of the vote could raise the possibility of civil war. Meanwhile, life in the capital, Bishkek, is slowly returning to normal after days of looting. Police and volunteers have claimed success after a relatively quiet night.