Kyrgyz leader says parliamentary elections could be canceled

Parliamentary elections scheduled for October in Kyrgyzstan could be canceled, acting President Roza Otunbayeva said Tuesday.

Addressing a political conference here, Otunbayeva said her country would introduce a state of emergency and cancel the elections if the country's unity was threatened.

She also warned against inter-ethnic relations becoming politicized, while expressing her concern over the behaviour of some individual parties.

Kyrgyzstan, a Central Asian country, has been plagued by turbulence and ethnic conflicts in recent months.

In June, clashes erupted between ethnic Kyrgyzs and Uzbeks in southern Kyrgyzstan, killing nearly 400 and injuring thousands. Some 400,000 were forced to leave their homes to avoid the violence.

Otunbayeva, who was sworn in as acting president on July 3, has said she will serve in that role until a new government is formed after the parliamentary elections, scheduled for Oct. 10.

Source: Xinhua