BISHKEK, May 29 (RIA Novosti) - A medical examination revealed the presence of an unidentified poison in the blood of the Kyrgyz prime minister, a spokesman for the premier said Tuesday.
Last week, Prime Minister Almaz Atambayev said someone tried to poison him in his office in early May.
The medical examination report said that Atambayev was suffering from some kind of toxic hepatitis after an unknown toxin entered his system.
Atambayev, a liberal opposition leader, was appointed the new premier in March by incumbent President Kurmanbek Bakiyev in an attempt to form a coalition government, and avoid a political crisis as opposition parties threatened to hold protest rallies in the country.
But members of the opposition refused to join the coalition, saying it would make little, if any, difference, and upheld their demand for early presidential elections.
Atambayev, 50, earlier said he has received several threats against his life, and media reported that he had looked ill during recent public appearances.
The premier said the threats intensified after the Kyrgyz government approved a bill to nationalize the Kristall microcrystalline silicon plant.
"I am certain it was an attempt to poison me. I had to undergo blood detoxifying procedures for two weeks," the prime minister said earlier.
A source in the Kyrgyz National Security Committee said it had begun an investigation into the alleged poisoning and a criminal case had been launched.
