Bishkek, 30 October 2002 (RFE/RL) -- Hundreds of protesters in southern Kyrgyzstan today continued their demonstrations against the exclusion of an opposition candidate from a runoff election this weekend. An Osh city court ruled on 27 October that the documents of Usen Sydykov, chairman of Kyrgyzstan's Agrarian-Labor Party, were not in order and barred him from the next round of elections on 3 November.
Sydykov won the first round of elections for a vacant seat in parliament on 20 October, taking 46 percent of the vote. His nearest competitor, Zamirbek Parmankulov, received 19 percent of the vote.
An appeals court was considering Sydykov's complaint today.
Some 200 residents of the Kara-Kulja Raion in Osh Oblast were on a protest march to Osh today to join with other demonstrators there. In the nearby Uzen Raion, more than 1,000 people attended a rally in support of Sydykov.
Sydykov won the first round of elections for a vacant seat in parliament on 20 October, taking 46 percent of the vote. His nearest competitor, Zamirbek Parmankulov, received 19 percent of the vote.
An appeals court was considering Sydykov's complaint today.
Some 200 residents of the Kara-Kulja Raion in Osh Oblast were on a protest march to Osh today to join with other demonstrators there. In the nearby Uzen Raion, more than 1,000 people attended a rally in support of Sydykov.