19 April 2024,   03:35
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Kyrgyzstan election: Protesters storm parliament over vote-rigging claims

Protesters in Kyrgyzstan calling for the country’s parliamentary election to be annulled have broken into parliament in the capital, Bishkek, writes BBC.

Footage showed people in the office of President Sooronbai Jeenbekov, and throwing paper from windows. Parts of the building appeared to be on fire.

The break-in follows a day of clashes with police, who initially dispersed crowds with water cannon and tear gas.

The clashes come amid allegations of vote-rigging in last Sunday’s election. Following the vote, only four parties out of 16 passed the 7% threshold for entry into parliament, three of which have close ties to President Jeenbekov.

Police used stun grenades to disperse thousands of protesters in Ala-Too square, before following them into nearby streets. But demonstrators later flooded back into the central square, before storming the parliament building, known as the White House. Video footage shared on social media showed opposition protesters gaining access to the complex, some by climbing fences and others by pushing open the main gates.

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