Kyrgyz MPs vote on constitution

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The opposition in Kyrgyzstan is continuing efforts to curb the power of the president, by gathering support for a new constitution in parliament.

MPs sat in emergency session overnight to sign the constitution, but appear to be still short of a quorum to make the document legitimate.

They have until midday (0600 GMT) on Tuesday to get enough signatures.

Meanwhile protests outside government buildings in central Bishkek have entered their sixth day.

The latest reports say that many demonstrators who had been camped outside the presidential administration have now left - but the opposition says it will step up its action later on Tuesday morning.

They are calling for President Kurmanbek Bakiyev himself to resign, saying he has failed to introduce democratic reforms he promised upon his election in 2005.

Mr Bakiyev sacked his Interior Minister Osmonali Guronov on Monday in a bid to end the protests.

Signing

Opposition leaders have accused the president of pushing the country into a political deadlock after he failed to arrive, as promised, at parliament to present the new constitution.

President Bakiyev instead sent suggestions for several amendments - which were rejected by the opposition.

The draft document stipulates that the president and parliament will continue to carry out their functions until elections in 2009, but that a new prime minister and government will be appointed immediately by parliament.

Opposition MPs voted to include all legislators in a constituent assembly to agree a text and vote on the new law, then made videotaped statements and one by one signed the new constitution.

'Extraordinary' situation

The legitimacy of the vote is in doubt because of a boycott by pro-government MPs, which has left the session without a two-thirds quorum.

But Constitutional Court Chairwoman Cholpon Bayekova told the Associated Press news agency that a smaller number of MPs could adopt the law as the situation was "extraordinary".

Thousands of people have gathered in the capital since Thursday, calling on President Bakiyev to resign.

They say he has not fulfilled the promise he made when he took power that he would hand over some presidential powers to parliament.

Mr Bakiyev said at the end of last week that any reforms could not be hurried through as fast as the opposition wants.