The protests in Kyrgyzstan seem to be having some effect:

OSH, Kyrgyzstan – President Askar Akayev ordered the Central Election Commission and Supreme Court on Monday to investigate alleged violations in the recent parliamentary vote that have triggered weeks of nationwide protests led by the opposition, the president’s office said.

Akayev ordered the commission and court “to pay particular attention to those districts where election results provoked extreme public reaction … and tell people openly who is right and who is wrong,” Akayev’s office said in a statement.

The president’s statement came as more than 17,000 people seized government buildings in the latest protests demanding Akayev’s resignation.

The unrest began early this month to protest against alleged election breaches in the Feb. 27 parliamentary polls. It intensified after the subsequent March 13 run-offs that the opposition, European countries and the United States said were seriously flawed, a charge denied by the government.

Protests were reported in Jalal-Abad:

Thousands of people stormed three government buildings in Kyrgyzstan today, forcing security forces to flee, in the latest in a wave of protests to demand the resignation of Soviet-era President Askar Akayev.

The biggest rally, with about 15,000 people, was in the southern city of Jalal-Abad.

Protesters dumped stones on the runway at city????????s airport, making it difficult for security forces to rush in reinforcements.

In the Central Asian nation????????s second city of Osh, about 1,000 protesters ???????? armed with clubs and flammable liquid and chanting Akayev Go! ???????? took control of the governor????????s building.

The protesters then grew in number to about 2,000 and overran the regional police and security stations in the city, 186 miles south of the capital Bishkek.

UPDATE: Nathan has the latest news and rumors, noting that protests are up to 15,000 in Osh, and nobody knows where Akayev is.

PHOTOS: Nathan has a bunch of photos up. Here’s a funny one: