BISHKEK. Kyrgyz Ombudsman, Tursunbay Bakir-uulu, will propose President Askar Akayev abolish the death penalty in Kyrgyzstan. Bakir-uulu held a press conference in the capital city of Bishkek today. As he put it, abolishing the death penalty will be further evidence of putting into practice all the Government's slogans on making Kyrgyzstan a country of human rights. The Ombudsman also spoke on the financial shortages in organizing his office. The OSCE helped recently with funding the office. Bakir-uulu, the former opposition MP, officially started his work on Dec 13, 2002. Bakir-uulu resigned his position as member of parliament on December 11. He was elected ombudsman on November 21 and according to the constitution could not serve as ombudsman and in parliament simultaneously. Bakir-uulu was one of the chief negotiators with the armed militants of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan which took dozens of hostages, including four Japanese geologists, in the summer of 1999. Bakir-uulu, 44, has a Ph.D. (graduated from Kyiv University) and is a former leader of the Erkin Kyrgyzstan political party.