Delegation Reports
Outward Delegation to Kyrgyzstan
14 to19 September 2008
Report by Wayne David MP
Delegation
Wayne David – Leader
Lynne Jones
Lord Hayworth
Lord Ahmed
Lord Dykes
Kyrgyzstan is a small county of five million people, nestled in the heart of central Asia. In 1991, it was the first country to break away from the Soviet Union, and in 2005 the so-called tulip revolution gave a major fillip to the country’s emerging democracy.
The big question which permeated many of our meetings with government ministers, think-tanks, NGOs and others in Kyrgyzstan was whether, some 17 years after its independence, the democratisation of the country was going forward or back.
After five hectic days in the country, we found it difficult to avoid the conclusion that the momentum of reform had diminished significantly. Most glaringly, it is disappointing that in last year’s General Election, the main opposition party, Ata Meken gained 8.29% of the popular vote, yet the electoral system was operated in such a way that Ata Meken was given no MPs, even though two other parties gained representation when they polled less well.
That said, what was encouraging was the degree of openness we experienced and the willingness to engage in constructive discussion about how democracy might be enhanced.
In our meetings with the Deputy Prime Minister, the Speaker of the Kyrgyz Parliament, as well as in discussions we had with Ministers and senior parliamentarians, it was clear that there was a realisation that ‘democracy’ is an evolving process and not a one-off event.
It was interesting that the Mayor of Cholpon-Ata, a town on the northern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul, explained to us that whilst he was currently elected, in future mayors would be appointed by the President. He explained this in terms of the need to increase governmental efficiency but conceded that this may mean that, in the short term at least, local democracy would be weakened significantly. This acceptance holds out the distinct possibility that on-going lessons will be learnt as the country continues to rebuild its economic and social infrastructure post communism.
Such an optimistic prognosis was borne out by others, such as the Director of the Institute of War and Peace Reporting, who explained to us how Kyrgyzstan has a relatively good record on human rights and religious and press freedom, especially when compared with its immediate neighbours.
A dominant feature of Kyrgyzstan is the continuing Russian influence. Although significant numbers of Russians have returned home following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russian remains the language of government and the cultural importance of Russia remains very evident. With Russia now questioning aspects of the democratic model, we would hope that Kyrgyzstan does not follow suit.
A full day was taken up by a series of visits to development projects near Lake Issyk-Kul, which were part funded DfID. These were a nursery school, irrigation projects and a new ‘health point’.
All of us were impressed with the excellent collaboration between British Government officials and local people, and we were overwhelmed with the warmth and generosity shown to us by everyone we met.
One of the enduring strengths of Kyrgyzstan is the genuine hospitality of its people. Another is its striking scenery – ranging from alpine-like mountains to beautiful lakes and large tracts of unspoilt plains. Clearly, there are enormous possibilities for different forms of tourism and the President of Kyrgyzstan has ‘decreed’ that tourism should be one of the country’s economic priorities.
This is undoubtedly a welcome move but we only hope that the political and economic climate of Kyrgyzstan is such that foreign investors will have the confidence to invest in the country in a meaningful way.
An issue which was raised with us on a number of occasions was the absence of a permanent British diplomatic representation in the country.
In Kazakhstan, Britain has an Embassy in Astana and an Embassy Office in Almaty. All UK diplomats in Astana and the Head of the Almaty office are jointly accredited to Kyrgyzstan and pay frequent visits. However, the British Government had agreed previously to open an Embassy in Bishkek but the move was cancelled because of financial constraints.
Although moves are afoot to facilitate visa applications from Bishkek, the Kyrgyz Government would like to see Britain have full diplomatic representation in their country.
This was truly a memorable visit. Our thanks for its success must go, principally, to the Parliament of the Kyrgyz Republic and its Friendship Group. But, we are also appreciative for the support and words of wisdom from the British Ambassador to the region and his staff.
The delegation as a whole left Kyrgyzstan with a collective determination to continue to build and reinforce our Parliamentary links with the country. This may be a small country but, in every sense, it has a huge potential. I am truly grateful that I had the opportunity to lead a delegation which worked so well together.
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