Felix Kulov, leader of the United Front For The Worthy Future, met with journalists on April 27 to discuss the situation that had taken shape after the opposition rally earlier this month.

Kulov accused Kyrgyz secret services of deliberate provocations in Ala-Too, the central square of Bishkek where the opposition was protesting. According to the opposition leader, the State Committee of National Security staged the incident that resulted in dispersal of the rally using people brought from the southern regions of the country. "This provocation put the people on the verge of a split," Kulov said. "The blame for it rests with President Kurmanbek Bakiyev. He has ordered opposition activists arrested for the alleged crimes they have never committed. The president is looking for scapegoats to secure his own future."

Kulov offered the authorities a deal. Let them press criminal charges against him but release all arrestees, he said. "Better jail one man than keep so many innocents behind the bars," Kulov said. "I know that the political leadership of the country would like to see me locked up. Here is what I suggest. Do arrest me but release others." The opposition leader said he had already informed of his decision the chief of the Directorate of Investigations of the State Committee of National Security and that he intended to approach secret services with the request to detain him later that evening. He seemed convinced that no court in Kyrgyzstan would convict him of organization of mass disturbances or an attempted coup. "As far as the law is concerned, what happened in Ala-Too was hooliganism. At the worst. No way it could be treated as mass disturbances as secret services insist," Kulov said.

"My arrest now will mean that it was done on the orders from the political leadership of Kyrgyzstan. The situation nowadays is different from what it was like under President Askar Akayev," Kulov said. "Back then, they tried to press other criminal charges against me but international organizations recognized me for a political prisoner that I was. What if they arrest me now for what happened on April 19? If you ask me, international organizations will proclaim me a dissenter all over again."

"Accusing opposition leaders, the State Committee of National Security is being primitive and straightforward," Kulov said and proceeded to read aloud excerpts from the document under which charges had been pressed against Omurbek Suvanaliyev. "There is valid evidence that Omurbek Isakovich Suvanaliyev and Felix Shershenbayevich Kulov established the so called United Front angling at disruption of the situation in the country... Promoting his criminal intent, Suvanaliyev secured help from Jogorku Kenesh deputies, politicians, the Kanjar Organization, ordinary people, and representatives of the region."

"Notice how they are already calling us criminals," Kulov said.

As far as Kulov is concerned, "charges like that are anything but valid or sound. They only confirm the suspicions that the investigation is acting under the orders to intimidate political enemies of the regime and to make life hard for whoever dares criticize the president and his inner circle." The opposition leader is convinced that "all these fabricated cases will collapse" as completely unsubstantiated.

Kulov said as well that the president of Kyrgyzstan had given his "advance consent" to early election. He himself had been told so by representatives of the Movement For The Reforms. According to Kulov, Bakiyev had been quoted as promising to step down in a year or so. "It means that we got what we set out to accomplish, namely an early election. The constitutional reforms were promised as well," United Front leader exclaimed. "All we needed was Bakiyev's signature on paper... Anyway, the president of Kyrgyzstan is known as a man of his word. He gives it and takes it back at will." Kulov said there could be no compromise with Bakiyev unless the latter repented first.

The opposition leader denied the intention to leave Kyrgyzstan. "I could do so when Akayev was ruling the country. I did not want it then and I do not want it now. I will fight Bakiyev here - by civilized and peaceful means," Kulov said.