BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, April 13 (UPI) -- Kyrgyzstan's ousted President Kurmanbek Bakiyev is ready to resign if the opposition guarantees his and his family's safety.
Bakiyev has been hiding in his stronghold in the south of the country since last week, when the opposition, after massive street fighting with police, ousted his government.
The transition government, led by former Foreign Minister Roza Otunbayeva, is considering the offer, BBC News reports.
Observers are worried that a civil war could break out between Bakiyev's supporters and the opposition.
A country of 5 million located in the mountains of Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan is one of the poorest countries of the former Soviet Union. Unlike its neighbors, Kyrgyzstan has no significant natural resources; more than half of the adult population is unemployed and its political system has been marred by instability and corruption.
Bakiyev rose to power on the wings of the 2005 Tulip Revolution but hopes for more democracy and stability soon faded when he cracked down on the opposition and he allegedly amassed riches as the population suffered.
Kyrgyzstan is home to a key U.S. air base in Manas, which is used to fly troops and equipment in and out of Afghanistan.
