The Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan slid deeper into chaos as rival opposition factions made grabs for power on Wednesday, a day after they stormed government buildings, forcing the prime minister to quit and a parliamentary election to be annulled.

Left isolated by the resignation of Prime Minister Kubatbek Boronov's government late on Tuesday, President Sooronbai Jeenbekov called for all party talks during an interview with the BBC.

Representatives of eight parties gathered at government headquarters on Wednesday evening to try to iron out their differences, but several large factions were absent while two rival candidates for the premiership emerged.

Two presidents have been overthrown in Kyrgyzstan in the past 15 years, and longtime ally Russia expressed concern as protests spread across the country, which borders China, in the wake of Sunday's vote.

Kyrgyzstan borders China and hosts both a Russian military airbase and a large Canadian-owned gold mining operation. Centerra Gold has said its operations are continuing but that the political unrest was being monitored.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Moscow was in touch with all the sides in the conflict and hoped that democratic process would be restored soon. China's Foreign Ministry said it was highly concerned about the situation.

People protesting against the results of a parliamentary election stand in front of the government headquarters which has been taken over in Bishkek on Tuesday. (Vladimir Pirogov/Reuters)

A total of 16 parties took part in Sunday's election, and 11 refused to accept the results, which had handed victory to establishment groups. As protests grew, the election commission annulled the vote.

At least three distinct groups have now attempted to claim leadership. The first was the Co-ordination Council set up on Tuesday and largely made up of established political parties opposing Jeenbekov.

Another group calling itself the People's Co-ordination Council surfaced on Wednesday, uniting five lesser-known opposition parties whose leaders have not held any senior government positions and calling for a purge of the elite.

Three more parties accepted that group's invitation to a meeting on Wednesday to work out a joint statement, while 30-year-old businessman Tilek Toktogaziyev said the faction would back him as an interim prime minister.

Politician makes bid after being freed from prison

Finally, the Ata Zhurt political party has tried to outmanoeuvre competitors by getting parliament to nominate its candidate Sadyr Zhaparov — freed from prison by protesters just hours earlier — for prime minister on Tuesday night.

However, an angry mob then broke into the hotel where parliament convened, forcing Zhaparov to flee through a back door, according to Kyrgyz media. It was not clear when parliament might convene again to confirm him as premier.

Sadyr Zhaparov, centred, is seen on Jan. 25, 2013, in a courtroom in the capital Bishkek. Supporters managed to free Zhaparov and others from prison. (Vyacheslav Oseledko/AFP/Getty Images)

Making a late night appearance on television, Zhaparov said he would propose a constitutional reform before holding presidential and parliamentary elections in two to three months.

But the split among opposition parties and power grabs by competing factions has plunged the nation of 6.5 million people into uncertainty.

Rallies by different parties' supporters continued in the capital Bishkek throughout Wednesday, with minor scuffles reported between backers of rival politicians.

Residents in Bishkek quickly formed vigilante neighbourhood watch units to reinforce police, having suffered during violent revolts followed by looting in 2005 and 2010.

There were scuffles overnight between vigilantes and protesters who tried to force their way into government buildings or attacked businesses such as shops and restaurants, according to a report by local news website 24.kg.