New Kyrgyz Authorities Claim Legitimacy After Departure Of Bakiev

Interim authorities in Kyrgyzstan have declared legitimacy and hopes for the end of conflict following the resignation and departure from the country of former President Kurmanbek Bakiev.

Bakiev flew out of Kyrgyzstan and arrived in neighboring Kazakhstan on April 15, and interim officials said he had signed a letter of resignation.

The ousted leader "wrote his official resignation paper, signed it, and left," the chief of staff of the self-proclaimed interim government, Edil Baisalov, told RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service. He added that the resignation was "one of the key conditions of the international community."

Kazakhstan, the current chair of the Organization For Security And Cooperation In Europe (OSCE), said it had negotiated Bakiev's departure from Kyrgyzstan along with the United States and Russia.

The U.S. State Department said the U.S., Russian and Kazakh presidents -- Barack Obama, Dmitry Medvedev, and Nursultan Nazarbaev -- had discussed the departure of Bakiev during the nuclear security summit earlier this week in Washington.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called Bakiev's departure "an important step toward the peaceful, stable, prosperous, and democratic development" of Kyrgyzstan.

Bakiev's departure followed days of turmoil in which opposition figures declared an interim government following an April 7 revolt that left more than 80 people dead.

The interim authorities have pledged to run Kyrgyzstan for the next six months in order to draft a new constitution and organize elections.

They have also vowed to pursue a trial of Bakiev for crimes he allegedly committed. Meanwhile, Baisalov said, authorities are searching for brother Janysh Bakiev and have arrested Bakyt Kalyev, a former defense minister accused of wrongdoing.

Speaking during a summit in the Brazilian capital, Russian President Medvedev has said he hopes the "negative scenario" has been avoided in Kyrgyzstan now that Bakiev has left.

Medvedev said he hoped Kyrgyzstan's new authorities will avoid what he called the "faults" of the Bakiev government, including nepotism and manipulation of business.

compiled from RFE/RL and agency reports