The For Reforms opposition movement, which includes about 20 political parties and non-governmental organizations, said May 17 that it would resume protests demanding faster reforms on May 27 and added it had informed the authorities in Bishkek.
Defense Minister Ismail Isakov told a news conference with the heads of all security agencies that the holding of the parade was a mere coincidence. "This event has no connection to the [opposition] meeting. It was decided on February 23," he said.
Isakov said that although the Armed Forces of the troubled Central Asian republic traditionally celebrated their professional holiday on May 29, it had been decided to mark the holiday on the central square Ala-Too two days earlier this year.
Isakov said the opposition "can gather on some other day or in some other place."
Commenting on the coincidence, President Kurmanbek Bakiyev said: "If meetings are held legally, and do not violate the rights and freedoms of other people, are peaceful and do not upset public order, nobody has the right to stop them."
However, he added that such actions could sometimes block traffic, destabilize the political situation, cause material damage, undermine the country's image and affect the investment climate.
"In such situations, local authorities and police must take measures in accordance with the law," he said.
The opposition said earlier it would gather for the protests because the government had failed to meet in full demands made by the opposition in major protests held on April 29 to launch constitutional reform, fight corruption, restructure law-enforcement agencies and fire some top officials.
On May 10, President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who came to power in a popular uprising referred to as the "tulip revolution" last March, acquiesced to one of the demands and accepted the resignations of his chief of staff, the state secretary and the chairman of the National Security Service.
