Kyrgyzstan's ousted president Kurmanbek Bakiyev insisted yesterday that he was still the rightful leader of his country, breaking several days of silence after his flight into exile.

"I, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, am the legally elected President of Kyrgyzstan and recognised by the international community," he said, speaking to reporters in Belarus where he took refuge two days earlier.

"I do not recognise my resignation. Nine months ago the people of Kyrgyzstan elected me their President and there is no power that can stop me. Only death can stop me," Mr Bakiyev said in the Belarussian capital Minsk. Mr Bakiyev was toppled by a popular uprising in Kyrgyzstan two weeks ago that brought a new interim government to power in the mountainous former Soviet republic. After initially fleeing to his stronghold in southern Kyrgyzstan, Mr Bakiyev flew to Kazakhstan in a move coordinated by the United States and Russia, as the interim government said he had submitted his resignation.

On Monday, Mr Bakiyev and several family members left Kazakhstan and arrived in Belarus at the invitation of strongman Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Speaking in the Minsk-based headquarters of the Commonwealth of Independent States, a grouping of former Soviet republics, Mr Bakiyev lashed out at the interim government which replaced him.

"Everyone must know the bandits who are trying to take power are the executors of a external force and have no legitimacy," Mr Bakiyev said with steely determination.

"I call on leaders of the international community: do not set a precedent and do not recognise this gang as the legitimate authorities," he said, standing in front of a flag of Kyrgyzstan.

The exiled leader arrived in the room surrounded by bodyguards, and left immediately after reading a short statement, without taking questions from reporters.

Mr Bakiyev and his family were flown to Belarus by Mr Lukashenko's own personal security service, the head of the service, Andrei Vtyurin, told the Interfax news agency.

"We should give special thanks to the pilots for landing the plane in severe weather conditions, when the airport was practically closed in connection with the volcanic cloud covering the territory of Belarus," Mr Vtyurin said.