Kyrgyz polls plan not 'realistic': OSCE

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe's envoy to Kyrgyzstan, Markus Mueller, said it was too short a time to organise polls.

Interim leader Kurmanbek Bakiev proposed the date two days after President Askar Akayev was ousted.

Mueller said there were too many constitutional questions outstanding.

Bakiev announced his plans on Saturday in his first full news conference as acting president in the capital Bishkek.

But Mueller said: "I don't believe this is realistic because it's a very short period of time. There are still a lot of questions unresolved - constitutional questions."

The envoy would not give a date when he thought elections could be held - saying developments over the next few weeks would have to be taken into account.

"If it does not become quieter, elections will just add to the instability," he said.

Akayev was ousted amid large-scale demonstrations following disputed parliamentary elections.

It remains unclear where the former president is, but many observers say he is probably in Russia.

Russia says it has offered to host Akayev, at his own request.

At his news conference, Bakiev said the events of the last week had taken him by surprise.

"It didn't enter my head that this could happen. God forbid that anyone should come to power in this way," he said.

He declared the revolution officially over, adding that it was time for action and restoring order.

The venue of Bakiev's news conference had to be switched after officials received information about an attempt to kill the interim president, his aides said.

Thousands of demonstrators supporting Akayev marched towards Bishkek on Saturday, but the country's new security chief, Felix Kulov, said that they called off their protest after failing to win broad support.