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Kyrgyz pres. signs new draft Constitution cutting his powers - PM

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BISHKEK, April 10 (RIA Novosti) - Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev signed a new draft Constitution cutting his powers and submitted it to parliament, the prime minister said Tuesday.

"An extraordinary parliamentary session could be convoked tomorrow which will discuss the bill," Almaz Atambayev told journalists.

The draft was worked out together with the opposition and meets almost all its demands, the prime minister said.

Major opposition parties in Kyrgyzstan started mass rallies in the provinces Monday in an attempt to force Bakiyev to either implement constitutional reform or step down.

About 2,000 supporters of the United Front and the movement For Reforms reportedly gathered outside regional government buildings in Karakol and Talas, while Sokuluk, Kara-Balta, and Cholpon-Ata have each seen up to 1,000 activists take to the streets.

On Wednesday, opposition activists from the provinces are expected to converge on the capital, Bishkek, in further protests.

Opposition leader Felix Kulov, a former prime minister and presidential ally in the 2005 coup that swept Bakiyev into power, last Thursday issued an ultimatum to the incumbent president to sign a draft constitutional law delegating part of his powers to parliament by April 6.

The opposition said it would seek the president's immediate resignation unless he agreed to share his powers with parliament within 24 hours.

In response to the ultimatum, the Kyrgyz president conceded last Friday that the current Constitution had many flaws, but said it could not be constantly changed under pressure of the political crisis.

Bakiyev also said he was ready for dialogue with any political force in the republic and willing to implement reasonable political reforms.

Atambayev said Tuesday that the new draft Constitution "gives the country a real chance to get out of the political deadlock."

"The reforms in the country could start immediately after the adoption of the new Constitution," the prime minister said.

Atambayev also said that the current cabinet would resign if parliament adopts the bill, but that the president and deputies would retain their posts.

He said that the Cabinet's resignation was necessary to allow the opposition to put forward its own candidates and "struggle for power in parliament rather than on the streets."

"I insisted on including this [Cabinet resignation] article in the draft," Atambayev said. "I am not holding a grip on this [prime minister's] chair."

"We are proposing an acceptable draft of the Constitution, and all political forces could put forward their candidates for the post of prime minister," he said.

However, the united Kyrgyz opposition said earlier it had prepared its own draft of the country's Constitution demanding that new elections be held following President Bakiyev's resignation, with a coalition government taking over his powers during the transition period.

"Our demands are non-negotiable - early presidential elections and reform of the Constitution without Bakiyev's participation," said Azamat Kalman, press secretary for the United Front, led by Felix Kulov.

The opposition has scheduled a series of political rallies for this week, and Kulov previously said "power will be peacefully transferred April 11."

Opposition leaders have yet to respond to a new move by Bakiyev, whose rule since the ouster of longtime leader Askar Akayev in March 2005 has been marred by pervasive corruption, economic problems, high-profile murders and prison riots.

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