Kyrgyz Supreme Court Rejects Opposition Appeal

Bishkek, 18 January 2005 (RFE/RL) -- Kyrgyzstan's Supreme Court today rejected an opposition candidate's appeal against the retraction of her registration to run in upcoming parliamentary elections.

Roza Otunbaeva's appeal came to the Supreme Court after an earlier rejection by a Bishkek district court.

Otunbaeva leads the opposition Ata-Jurt movement. Her application to participate in the polls was originally accepted, but later retracted for unclear reasons.

Ata-Jurt officials say the retraction was politically motivated. Party officials say they are planning a rally in Bishkek tomorrow to protest today's Supreme Court ruling.

Otunbaeva now plans to take her appeal to the Constitutional Court.

(RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service)