Russia's Medvedev blames Kyrgyz authorities for unrests, says civil war risk high

In his first comments on Kyrgyzstan's riots, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev blamed Kyrgyz authorities for failing to prevent unrests and said the risk of a civil war in the Central Asian country is high.

In his first comments on Kyrgyzstan's riots, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev blamed Kyrgyz authorities for failing to prevent unrests and said the risk of a civil war in the Central Asian country is high.

Protests against Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and his government began April 6 in the country's northwest and grew violent spreading to other regions of the country, including the capital Bishkek; over 80 people were killed and more than 1,500 injured. The opposition formed an interim government. Bakiyev fled Bishkek and is in the country's south - his traditional stronghold.

"Kyrgyz authorities are responsible for the hard situation in Kyrgyzstan, which is again going through a phase of illegitimate development," Medvedev said, apparently recalling the 2005 tulip revolution that brought Bakiyev to power.

Medvedev spoke at Brookings Institution, a leading U.S. think tank, after the end of the April 12-13 Nuclear Security Summit in Washington.

Since the Tulip revolution, Kyrgyzstan's Constitution has been almost completely changed four times in bids to increase and reduce presidential powers.

In 2009, Bakiyev began amending an article which regulates the succession of presidency in case of death or unexpected resignation. Experts have seen the move as an attempt to introduce a "dynastical system" of power transfer in the country, one of the factors which fueled last week's nationwide protests in Kyrgyzstan.

Medvedev lamented that the current situation looks like the 2005 events. "At one time the former Kyrgyz president [Askar Akayev] was deposed by the opposition and he was forced to flee the country. He was blamed for economic crimes and corruption," he said.

"A few years have passed, but in essence the mottos and people are the same... It is sad because Kyrgyzstan is our close neighbor, and the last thing I would want now is Kyrgyzstan turning into a might-have-been state," the Russian leader said.

Medvedev also said he believes Kyrgyzstan is on the verge of a civil war that could split the country into north and south.

"The risk of Kyrgyzstan splitting into two parts - north and south - really exists... Kyrgyzstan is on the threshold of a civil war, and the forces in Kyrgyzstan should be aware of their responsibility before the Kyrgyz nation... and the existence of the Kyrgyz state," the Russian president said.

He urged an end to bloodshed in Kyrgyzstan.

WASHINGTON, April 14 (RIA Novosti)