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A6 WORLD NEWS
Friday 16 OctOber 2020
Kyrgyzstan's president says he's quitting to avoid bloodshed

By DARIA LITVINOVA introduced a curfew.
Associated Press The move eased tensions
MOSCOW (AP) — Kyrgyz- in the city, where residents
stan's embattled president feared the violence and
said Thursday he was re- vandalism that accompa-
signing following protests nied previous uprisings and
over a disputed parliamen- had been forming vigilan-
tary election, the third time te groups to protect their
in 15 years that a leader of property. Stores and banks
the Central Asian country that were closed last week
has been ousted by a pop- have reopened.
ular uprising. To try to halt the unrest,
Protesters in the capital of Jeenbekov on Wednes-
Bishkek celebrated the de- day endorsed the appoint-
cision by President Sooron- ment of Sadyr Zhaparov as
bai Jeenbekov, but it's not prime minister. The former
clear if it will quell the unrest lawmaker was freed from
that has gripped the coun- jail by demonstrators last
try since last week. The week. Jeenbekov also ap-
demonstrators quickly de- proved Zhaparov's new
manded that parliament Cabinet.
be dissolved and that its Zhaparov has repeatedly
speaker, who is next in the demanded Jeenbekov's
order of succession, also re- resignation and promised
sign. In this file photo taken on Friday, Nov. 24, 2017, President-elect Sooronbai Jeenbekov sings the his supporters to push for it
Jeenbekov, who came un- national anthem during the presidential inauguration ceremony in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. — but Jeenbekov said he
der pressure to step down Associated Press would stay in the job until
from the protests and some citizens." Isayev told the Kyrgyz news government buildings, the political situation had
opposition politicians in- Jeenbekov said the situ- outlet 24.kg that he doesn't looting some offices, and stabilized.
cluding the new prime min- ation in Bishkek "remains feel he has the right to take the Central Election Com- Hundreds of Zhaparov's
ister, had dismissed calls to tense" and that he didn't over the presidency since mission nullified the elec- supporters rallied in the
resign only a day earlier. want to escalate those ten- the current parliamentary tion. The opposition then capital Wednesday, threat-
But in a statement released sions. He urged opposition term is about to end. announced plans to oust ening to storm the presi-
by his office, he said that politicians to get their sup- The country of 6.5 million Jeenbekov and form a dential residence if Jeen-
he feared violence if he porters off the streets and people on the border with new government. bekov did not step down.
stayed in power, noting "bring peaceful life back to China was plunged into Jeenbekov kept a low pro- Zhaparov had promised
that protesters were facing the people." chaos following an Oct. file in the first few days after to meet with the president
off against the police and Parliament must officially 4 parliamentary election the vote, using the infight- Thursday, but it is not clear
the military. approve his resignation, whose results a victory for ing among protest leaders if that took place.
"In this case, blood will be and Speaker Kanat Isayev, pro-government parties. to dig in. He introduced a As in the uprisings that oust-
shed. It is inevitable," the who was appointed earlier The opposition said the bal- state of emergency in Bish- ed presidents in 2005 and
statement said. "I don't this week, told local media loting was tainted by vote- kek, which was endorsed 2010, the current unrest has
want to go down in history it would meet Friday to con- buying and other irregulari- Tuesday by parliament, been driven by clan rival-
as a president who shed sider it. Raising the possibili- ties. and authorities deployed ries that shape the coun-
blood and shot at his own ty of further political turmoil, Protesters then took over troops to the capital and try's politics.q
LGBT groups in Japan launch petition seeking equality law

By MARI YAMAGUCHI ity law in time for the Tokyo are protected.
Associated Press games, and as an Olympic Fumino Sugiyama, a trans-
TOKYO (AP) — Sexual mi- legacy." Same-sex mar- gender activist and former
nority groups and human riage is not legally allowed, Olympian in women's fenc-
rights activists launched a and transgender people ing, joined a news confer-
petition on Thursday call- are required to remove ence announcing the start
ing for an LGBT equality law their reproductive organs to of the petition. He said he
in Japan in hopes that it have sex changes reflect- was unable to disclose his
can be enacted next year, ed in official documents sexual identity when he
when the country is to host — a requirement that inter- was competing about 15
the Olympics and will be national medical experts years ago because of fear
the focus of international and human rights groups of discrimination.
From left, Yumiko Murakami, head of OECD Tokyo, Gon attention. criticize as inhumane. Re- Last year, Shiho Shi-
Matsunaka, head of Pride House Tokyo Legacy, Kanae Doi, "In this country, equal rights cently, a local assembly- moyamada, a former mid-
Japan director of Human Rights Watch, Yuri Igarashi, co- for LGBT people are not man in Tokyo belonging to fielder with SV Mappen in
representative director of the Japan Alliance for LGBT Legislation, guaranteed by law or in Prime Minister Yoshihide Su- Germany and currently
Yuichi Kamiya, secretary-general of the Japan Alliance for LGBT their social lives," said Yuri ga's conservative govern- playing for the Japanese
Legislation, "Tokyo Rainbow Pride" representative co-director Igarashi, co-representative ing party sparked outrage women's football club Sfi-
Fumino Sugiyama, and a soccer player Shiho Shimoyamada, of the Japan Alliance for after linking LGBT people da Setagaya, disclosed
pose for photographers during a press conference to launch
international signature campaign for the enactment of the "LGBT LGBT Legislation, one of to the country's declining that she has a same-sex
Equality Law" as a legacy of the Tokyo Olympics Thursday, Oct. several organizers of the birthrate, saying constitu- partner, becoming the first
15, 2020, in Tokyo. petition. "We call for the ents in his ward would go prominent Japanese ath-
Associated Press passage of an LGBT equal- extinct if sexual minorities lete to do so. q