Bakiyev says no intention to return to Kyrgyzstan as president
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Ousted Kyrgyz leader Kurmanbek Bakiyev said on Friday he had no intention to return to his country as president, although he had denied his resignation.
"I do not intend to return to Kyrgyzstan as president, but I do not recognize my resignation," Bakiyev told a news conference in the Belarussian capital Minsk, quoted by the Interfax news agency.
He said he was forced to write the resignation letter before leaving Kyrgyzstan with his wife and children.
"When I was writing a resignation letter, there was a threat from those who seized power in the military takeover," he said.
Bakiyev said he had no information indicating the involvement of Russia in the coup in Kyrgyzstan, but he believed Russia was unhappy with his policies especially his decision to keep the U.S. air base in the Manas Airport in Bishkek.
"I can't say it was done by the Russian special services," he said, "We wanted to pursue an independent foreign policy, but I didn't realize it irritated Russia so much."
Bakiyev admitted that he had failed to foresee the developments of opposition, which led to the riots and his stepping down.
"Nothing suggested that a revolutionary situation or unrest would emerge," he said.
He said he was ready to cooperate with the interim government and parliament in electing legitimate authorities.
"The parliament must be returned to work and I should be involved in putting legitimate authorities in place, so their decisions would not be contested by anyone," Bakiyev said.
He added it that he did not plan to seek political asylum in any country.
"I will turn to the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and to the G8 countries soon, to ask them to support the Kyrgyz people," he said.
On Wednesday, Bakiyev, who had fled to Belarus after the large-scale riots in Kyrgyzstan since April 6, claimed that he had not resigned and urged world leaders not to recognize the interim government.
The Kyrgyz interim government leader showed the media a copy fax of Bakiyev's resignation letter, which Bakiyev's brother said was a fake.
