Bishkek disbands political police force

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, June 10 (UPI) -- The provisional Interior Ministry will no long monitor opposition groups in Kyrgyzstan, interim leaders said Thursday from Bishkek.

A statement from acting Interior Minister Bolot Sher said provisional leaders signed a measure to disband a political police force, Russia's state-run news agency RIA Novosti reports.

"From now on, the interior ministry will not monitor oppositional sentiment in connection with the analysis of the social-political situation," the statement said.

Bishkek had established an interior police force to monitor religious extremism and terrorist ideology in the country. RIA Novosti said the force was busy keeping tabs on "untrustworthy" politicians and opposition groups, however.

The move is part of a reform movement by the interim government that came to power following an April coup. The BBC reported Wednesday, however, that Edil Baisalov, chief of staff for acting President Roza Otunbayeva was stepping down to form a new political party.

Baisalov said he was making his decision to put the country back on the path toward democracy.

Parts of the Central Asian country remain unstable following an April coup that forced deposed President Kurmanbek Bakiyev to flee to Belarus.

At least 80 people were killed and another 1,500 were injured during the April conflict.