Ousted Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev said on Tuesday he was prepared to resign after last week's lightning coup if he was given appropriate guarantees. Driven from office by opposition leaders who are trying to consolidate their own position as Kyrgyzstan's legitimate new rulers, Akayev said he wanted to be involved in resolving the impoverished Central Asian state's political crisis. Asked by Russian state television if he was prepared to resign, Akayev said: "Of course, if I am given the relevant guarantees and it fully conforms with Kyrgyz legislation." Akayev, who fled to Russia as opposition protesters stormed government headquarters on March 24, did not specify what guarantees he sought but earlier said a return to his ex-Soviet mountain republic depended on safety assurances. "If I have safety guarantees, I will indeed go back. I wish to help parliament so that a newly elected president is legitimate," he told Russia's Ekho Moskvy radio.
