Opposition protesters shout and wave their hands as they march through the southern Kyrgyz town of Osh, March 22. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

    ALMA ATA, March 23 (Xinhuanet) -- Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev dismissed the interior minister and prosecutor-general on Wednesday as opposition rallies continued in the south demanding an annulment of the parliamentary election results.

    Akayev signed decrees to remove Interior Minister Bakirdin Subanbekov and Prosecutor-General Myktybek Abdyldayev from their posts at their own request, presidential spokesman Abdil Seghizbayev was cited by reports from Bishkek as saying.

    But the dismissals were linked to "the events in the south and their poor work on preventing those events," he said.

    Akayev had appointed police chief of the capital Bishkek, Keneshbek Dushebayev, as interior minister and security chief of his administration, Murat Sutalinov, as the new chief prosecutor, Seghizbayev said.

    The opposition staged protests after the first round of parliamentary elections on Feb. 27, citing frauds in the polls. The rallies escalated after the March 13 run-offs, with protesters demanding a cancellation of the results and the resignation of Akayev. The demands were rejected by the president.

    Earlier this week, opposition forces took control of government buildings in key southern cities Osh and Jalal-Abad, the seats of two of the Central Asian nation's seven administrative regions.

    The government had been careful to avoid confrontation and Akayev had ruled out the use of emergency measures. But the newly installed parliament on Tuesday asked Akayev to consider emergency rule to restore order in some cities. Enditem