( RIA Novosti ) - Kyrgyzstan's new opposition movement, led by a former presidential ally and ex-premier, said it would begin protests in the country April 9 to demand early presidential elections and a new constitution.
The United Front for Kyrgyzstan's Decent Future led by Felix Kulov, who resigned in mid-December amid a political standoff and moved into opposition, said it would start the protests in the regions and continue them indefinitely in the capital, Bishkek, from April 11.
"Meetings in the regions and Bishkek will be days for national consolidation and mark the beginning of dramatic changes in the life of the country," the movement said in a statement.
The United Front is seeking to reduce presidential powers, which were initially curtailed by a new constitution following street protests November 7, but reestablished two months later after President Kurmanbek Bakiyev threatened to dissolve the legislature.
Kulov's movement says it is against "the usurpation of power by one person and his corrupt clan-style rule." The United Front also opposes "the seizure of property by the ruling 'family', its control over the lucrative economic sectors and pressure on private businessmen and mass media."
A former political prisoner, Kulov, 58, came to power in March 2005 in an alliance with Bakiyev on the back of violent protests. After his resignation over a conflict with the president and legislators, President Bakiyev twice nominated Kulov for prime minister in January, but MPs rejected the candidacy.
Kulov's re-emergence as the opposition leader could further undermine Bakiyev's position already weakened by popular discontent with the slow pace of promised reforms in the ex-Soviet nation and an ongoing power struggle between the northern and southern clans.
Another opposition movement, For Reforms, has promised support for Kulov's movement, although it said the United Front's goals of forcing the president to resign were more radical than theirs.
Both Russia and the United States maintain airbases in Kyrgyzstan.