Thousands of people, mostly students and public sector employees, have taken to the streets of Batken, Jalal-Abad, Talas and Osh under the slogan "Bakiyev is Our President," in an apparent response to a week-long opposition-led rally outside the parliament building in central Bishkek.
The opposition has demanded that the president either resign or agree to a new Constitution curbing his powers, and a confrontation between opposition supporters and government backers in Bishkek culminated in violent clashes Tuesday, leaving at least six people injured.
A standoff between opposition and government supporters is continuing in the capital, with a 1,500-strong opposition rally being encircled by police to prevent "destabilization" in the face of an increasing number of presidential supporters, who demand the dissolution of parliament.
The number of opposition supporters declined after opposition leaders urged the rally to end Tuesday, saying that parliament had reached an agreement on constitutional reform. But MPs refused to approve a new draft Constitution Wednesday morning, opting to debate the proposals article by article on two readings.
