Kyrgyz Parliament Sacrifices 7 Sheep to Expel 'Evil Spirits

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (The Blaze/AP) -- Lawmakers in Kyrgyzstan's raucous parliament have sacrificed seven sheep in what they call a bid to drive evil spirits out of the chamber.

Parliament press officer Shairbek Mamatoktorov said almost all the deputies attended Thursday morning's traditional ceremony. He says meat from the slaughtered animals will be sent to homes for the elderly and the disabled.

“We decided to resort to popular customs, in order for this building not to see bloodshed anymore,” member of parliament Myktybek Abdyldayev told Reuters after the rams were sacrificed in front of the government headquarters.

The impoverished Central Asian nation's fragile three-party coalition has descended into a flurry of squabbling. Deputies from two parties in the fragile coalition government even came to blows earlier this month and traded bitter accusations.

This month marked the first anniversary of a bloody uprising that led to the ouster of the country's authoritarian leader.