UN, EU favour Kyrgyz vote despite unrest

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BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, June 15 (Agencies) : The United Nations and the European Union Tuesday urged Kyrgyzstan to go ahead with a key constitutional referendum and parliamentary polls, notwithstanding a violent ethnic unrest and humanitarian catastrophe.
But the Kyrgyz government has underplayed the situation and pulled out instead a demand for foreign troops to calm the restive region where unrest could spawn a large-scale humanitarian disaster.
The Central Asian nation's southern part has been rattled by days of ethnic strife targetting minority Uzbeks, which has left the country's second-largest city, Osh, in tatters, spawning a stream of Uzbek refugees.
The Health Ministry said Tuesday the violence killed 171 while injuring nearly 1,800, although observers believe the real figures to be much higher. Many Uzbek refugees arriving in Uzbekistan had gunshot wounds, officials said.
Asian governments have started evacuate their nationals from the country, with China, India, Pakistan and South Korea racing to organise flights. UN representative Miroslav Jenca, visiting the capital of Bishkek on the day, said the June 27 referendum and parliamentary elections scheduled in October must go ahead despite the ethnic violence.
"The referendum and the elections must be held at the announced times," AP quoted Jenca as saying. The European Union is also supportive of the elections.
About 200,000 people have fled violence within Kyrgyzstan, UN refugee agency spokesman Andrej Mahecic said in Geneva Tuesday.