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🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan /Elections & Politics

Kyrgyzstan: Mayors and Akims to Hold Public Meetings Twice Annually

From 24.kg · () Russian

Translated from Russian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified New plan
  • Kyrgyzstan's parliament has approved a bill requiring mayors and akims to hold public meetings twice a year.
  • The initiative aims to increase transparency and accountability of local government officials.
  • The bill was developed following a presidential directive and passed in three readings.

Kyrgyzstan's parliament has advanced a legislative proposal that mandates mayors and akims (heads of local state administrations) to conduct public meetings with citizens twice annually. The bill, approved by the Committee on Constitutional Legislation, State Structure, Local Self-Government, and Regulations, aims to enhance the openness and transparency of local government operations. It also seeks to bolster the accountability of these officials to their communities.

We are in the final stages of what will be a great deal.

— Elchibek DzhantaevHead of the State Agency for Civil Service and Local Self-Government, explaining the purpose of the bill.

According to Elchibek Dzhantaev, head of the State Agency for Civil Service and Local Self-Government, the legislation is designed to align with constitutional principles emphasizing the openness of government bodies and officials acting in the public interest. The initiative stems from a presidential directive issued after a working trip to the Osh region in April. The proposed meetings are scheduled to take place between February and March, and again between November and December each year.

Mayors of cities should meet with the population every week, and we, it turns out, are limiting the number of such meetings.

— Umbetaaly KydyralievA deputy questioning the proposed frequency of public meetings.

During the parliamentary committee's discussion, deputies stressed the importance of establishing clear reporting mechanisms following these meetings. They urged that citizens should be able to track the outcomes of their concerns and the actions taken to address them. Some lawmakers, like Umbetaaly Kydyraliev, questioned the necessity of strictly limiting meetings to twice a year, suggesting that mayors should engage with the public more frequently, perhaps weekly. Kydyraliev also highlighted the need for decentralizing power, pointing out that 54 percent of Kyrgyzstan's GDP is concentrated in Bishkek and advocating for a review of the status of other cities to promote more balanced regional development.

According to the analysis, 54 percent of GDP is concentrated in Bishkek. We need to think about decentralization.

— Umbetaaly KydyralievA deputy advocating for economic decentralization.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by 24.kg in Russian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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