Around 1,500 supporters of a nationalist hard-liner who topped Kyrgyzstan's poll this month called Sunday for the secret services' chief sacking after an alleged bid to assassinate their leader.
Amid predictions that its strong showing in legislative elections could herald a resurgence of ethnic unrest here, followers of the Ata-Zhurt party massed outside parliament to demand Keneshbek Dushebayev's resignation.
Some of the placards read "Dushebayev Resign!" and "Dushebayev is not a professional, he should herd cattle!", as the party staged a show of strength in the capital Bishkek and rallied round its leader Kamchybek Tashiyev.
"We will demonstrate indefinitely, until a decision is made by the country's leadership to fire the head of the special services," one of the picketers, Asan Batyrov, told AFP.
Picketers demonstrated for some three and a half hours before they dispersed, promising to gather again the next day.
Tashiyev has alleged that secret agents tried to break into his home on Saturday to assassinate him, on Dushebayev's orders. "A group of riflemen tried to break into my home but the guards managed to prevent this attempt," he told reporters on Sunday.
"During the skirmish the attackers began to shoot in the air but the guards took away the attackers' weapons as well as one identity card," he said, claiming the documents belonged to a member of the state security services.
Speaking to AFP, Tashiyev said his hand was injured in the incident and his attackers "were either going to kill me or kidnap me."
His party draws support from the south wracked by inter-ethnic violence in June and Tashiyev indicated there would be more rallies if his supporters' demands were not met. "Thousands of people from the south are ready to move towards Bishkek but I will help contain them," he said.