Kyrgyzstan's new leadership sought to tighten its grip on the ex-Soviet Central Asian state Saturday and expressed confidence that it could end the lawlessness that followed the ousting of President Askar Akayev.

"The situation is fully under control. We do not need a curfew," said opposition leader Felix Kulov, put in charge of security, after a night of sporadic gunfire in which one man was killed trying to fight off looters in the capital Bishkek.

Saturday, Bishkek center was quiet with relatively few people on the streets. But there were fewer signs of the violence and chaos that accompanied widespread looting on Thursday night.

The country's new leaders -- a loosely united opposition that includes many former government officials -- seized power when crowds of protesters clashed with police and marched into Bishkek's White House, the seat of government, Thursday.

Kulov has set up mobile police patrols and given orders for police to fire in the air to disperse looters.

Talking to reporters Saturday, he said there were reports of Akayev supporters gathering in various parts of the country but he disregarded them as a threat. "The situation is calm and can be controlled," he said.

Akayev, who had ruled since 1990, confirmed Friday he had left the country but did not say where he had gone.

He said he was still the legitimate president and would return. The opposition had carried out an "anti-constitutional coup," he said.

But acting president Kurmanbek Bakiev said his flight from the country robbed Akayev of any moral right to be head of state and he could expect a harsh reception if he returned.

Bakiev, an opposition leader who played a central role in the protests, has appointed key interim ministers. A presidential poll is planned for June.

Kyrgyzstan, a mainly Muslim country of 5 million bordering China, lies in an energy-rich region where Washington and Moscow vie for influence. Each has a military base outside Bishkek.

WEST, RUSSIA WORK WITH NEW LEADERS

The United States said it supported "a peaceful outcome to the political future of Kyrgyzstan."

"We will continue to work to support the efforts of the Kyrgyz people as they endeavor to build a stable democracy," State Department spokesman Adam Ereli told reporters.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow was ready to work with the Kyrgyz opposition, and would also provide sanctuary for Akayev if he wanted.

Britain's ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, James Sharp, said his country was also in contact with the new leadership.

"The message we have been giving them is the need to establish security and order throughout the country," he told Reuters.

The overthrow of Akayev, a relative liberal in a region of mainly autocratic leaders, followed weeks of protest throughout the country that turned violent in two towns in the impoverished south.

Kyrgyzstan has become the third ex-Soviet state in two years, after Georgia and Ukraine, where a revolt after disputed elections has ousted the entrenched leadership.

And events there could raise questions for other authoritarian Central Asian governments in neighboring Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. (Additional reporting by Christian Lowe)

PHOTO CAPTION

A torn portrait of Kyrgyzstan's ousted President Askar Akayev seen fixed on a pole decorated with a blue ribbon, Akayev's supporters color, in downtown Bishkek, Saturday, March 26, 2005. (AP)