Kyrgyzstan’s deposed president gathers supporters to test ability to mount resistance

Kyrgyzstan’s deposed president gathers supporters

TEYIT, Kyrgyzstan — Kyrgyzstan’s deposed president is gathering supporters for a rally in his home village.

Kurmanbek Bakiyev appears to be testing his ability to mount resistance to those who drove him out of the capital of the Central Asian nation last week.

About 200 people gathered Monday in the southern village of Teyit. There was no sign of police.

Bakiyev fled Bishkek after a protest rally exploded into police gunfire and chaos, but he has refused to step down.

The stalemate has left Kyrgyzstan’s near-term stability in doubt. That worries the West because a U.S. air base in Kyrgyzstan is crucial in the military campaign against the Taliban in Afghanistan.