Kyrgyz female civil-society activists called on the supporters of the second- and third-place presidential candidates Kamchybek Tashiyev and Adakhan Madumarov to stop demonstrations in the south.

"The elections were fair and the failed candidates must accept the results, because everyone wants peace in Kyrgyzstan", said activist Elmira Manapova.

Some 200 people took to the streets in a northern Kyrgyz province earlier this week to protest the longstanding practice of bride kidnapping. The custom -- in which single young men kidnap their bride of choice and pressure them to agree to marriage -- is not uncommon in Kyrgyzstan. But bride kidnapping has recently come under sharp criticism in the Central Asian country after two kidnapped brides committed suicide in a matter of months.

 

“Kyrgyzstan would not have prosperity without women’s support, Omurbek Tekebayev, deputy head of the interim government said Monday at the National Conference “Women political participation in constitutional reform and parliamentary elections”.

Mr. Tekebayev stated that the most powerful government could not allow excluding women from political processes. “Kyrgyzstan is not an exception. For example, in 90th in transition period the economy was built exactly by women. As the practice shows the politics they are representing – is noted by greater tolerance, social justice, they are dealing with problems, focused on human development, as well as mitigate politics”, Tekebayev added.