US may be aiding Kyrgyz unrest: Zyuganov

MOSCOW, March 23 (UPI) -- The United States may be deliberately fomenting political unrest in Kyrgyzstan, Russia's Communist Party leader said Wednesday.

Blame for the political protests in the former Soviet republic may lie with the recent parliamentary election results, poverty and possible interference by the United States, Gennady Zyuganov told Interfax.

"I have a feeling that the Americans are not very satisfied with those who rule Kyrgyzstan," Zyuganov told a news conference at Interfax' main office.

"The main reason, in my opinion, is that (Kyrgyz President Askar) Akayev's clan has helped all its members -- starting with children and ending with the most distant relatives -- win parliamentary seats," he said.

He said the "indignation" among the opposition was justified.

In Washington, State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said the Bush administration had urged Bishkek to open a dialogue, without preconditions, with the opposition.

Nicholas Burns, U.S. under secretary of State for Political Affairs, met Tuesday with Akayev's foreign policy adviser, Alikbek Djekshenkulov, on the issue.

"There really is a full-court press on our part and, I think, on the part of the international community to promote a dialogue between the government and opposition," Ereli said.