By Olzhas Auyezov

BISHKEK, March 27 (Reuters) - Kyrgyzstan's opposition staged nationwide protests on Friday against President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, accusing him of failing to implement economic reforms and of strong-arming rivals ahead of a July presidential poll.

Police took no action as 1,000 people shook their fists and chanted "Down with Bakiyev!" in the capital of the impoverished ex-Soviet republic. Some held banners saying "No to crime, repression and corruption".

Smaller rallies took place in other cities, falling short of the size of crowds the opposition had vowed to attract.

"The president has not fulfilled any of his promises," said Ismail Isakov, an opposition leader. "He must stop political repression immediately."

The opposition, long fragmented and weak, was galvanised this month after one of its leaders was arrested and after a string of other incidents Bakiyev critics say are aimed at removing potential rivals ahead of the election.

Bakiyev, who plans to run in the election, has denied these allegations. He was elected in 2005 in a ballot described as free and fair by Western monitors at the time when violent riots ousted long-serving Askar Akayev and swept Bakiyev to power.

Temir Sariyev, another opposition leader, said his movement had given the government until April 20 to reshuffle the cabinet to include opposition politicians and invite their representatives to election commissions.

"Rallies will continue if our demands are not met," he said.

A deepening financial crisis and falling remittances from migrant labourers have added to concerns about the possibility of social unrest in the mountainous country of five million.

"There are no jobs. Kyrgyzstan has no future. There is no light at the end of the tunnel," said Ulan Bayanaliyev, a 45-year-old driver who attended the rally. "Bakiyev has done nothing to help over the last four years."

Kyrgyzstan, at the centre of Russian/U.S. rivalry in Central Asia, last month told the United States to close a military air base used as a transport hub for operations Afghanistan after securing more than $2 billion in Russian credit and aid.

A senior U.S. administration official said on Friday that the United States still sees a chance to avert the Manas air base closure and that Washington was still talking to the Kyrgyz government about the future of the base.

Kyrgyzstan also hosts a Russian air base. (Writing by Maria Golovnina; Additional reporting by Olga Dzyubenko; Editing by Louise Ireland)

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