KYRGYZ PARLIAMENTARIANS WARN OF NEGATIVE AIR BASE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BISHKEK 000124 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/CEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL MARR KG SUBJECT: KYRGYZ PARLIAMENTARIANS WARN OF NEGATIVE AIR BASE PERCEPTIONS BISHKEK 00000124 001.2 OF 003 Classified By: CDA Lee Litzenberger, Reason 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: Kyrgyz parliamentarians have told us that the December 6 base shooting and other recent incidents have led to a decline in parliament's perceptions of the U.S. Manas air base, and continued negative public reaction to the shooting could have an impact on U.S.-Kyrgyz relations. Their specific points included: 1) the "secretive" base payment mechanism, particularly in a corrupt Kyrgyz environment; 2) the impact individual incidents have on the "big picture;" 3) Russia's role in Kyrgyz political developments; and 4) the importance of assistance to the family of the deceased driver as a means of mitigating current tensions. Each member suggested that it was important for us to inform the public about the base's contributions to Kyrgyzstan's security and economy. End summary. Negative Comments and . . . -------------- ¶2. (C) In a December 19 meeting, opposition parliamentarian Temir Sariyev claimed that the U.S. had not been responsive to Kyrgyz concerns regarding Manas Air Base. Given his previous support for U.S. operations in Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan, Sariyev was surprisingly negative about the early December shooting incident and the base. When the Ambassador pointed out the strategic benefits of having the base in Kyrgyzstan, Sariyev commented that "the big picture is made up of all the little things." He implied that everything depended on how the public would view the steps taken by the U.S. to resolve the shooting matter and noted that even if press articles and blogs are false, "it's what the public perceives to be true that matters." Sympathetic Comments and . . . -------------- ¶3. (C) Deputy Speaker of Parliament Tairbek Sarpashev in a separate December 19 meeting warned the Ambassador of growing anxiety over the base, and he criticized certain politicians for exploiting the shooting incident for political gain. While he claimed that a majority of parliamentarians also understood the U.S. position, he said there was much misunderstanding and disinformation about the base. Sarpashev accused President Bakiyev,s administration of using the issue for political advantage and lambasted the manner in which critics have "idiotically" attempted to sway public opinion against the United States. Sarpashev pointed out that there was no public discussion about the Russian Air Base at Kant, despite the security concerns attributable to its presence in Kyrgyzstan. Due to a lack of democracy in Kyrgyzstan, said Sarpashev, Russia has been able to directly influence Kyrgyz leaders, affecting the overall decision-making process. Sarpashev added that having "too little" democracy has negatively affected society's ability to discuss issues of national importance openly and constructively. A Message from the For Reforms Movement -------------- ¶4. (C) Opposition parliamentarian Muratbek Mukashev (and father of MFA Department for Western Countries Deputy Director Daniyar Mukashev),who claimed to be speaking on behalf of the opposition For Reforms movement, advised the Ambassador January 8 that his group values and supports the U.S. base at Manas airport. He raised, but accepted as BISHKEK 00000124 002.2 OF 003 settled, the decision to place the base alongside the civilian airport. Mukashev questioned the "secretive" handling of payments for the base and other U.S. assistance, despite President Bakiyev's recent public assurances that there was no corruption at senior levels of government. Mukashev expressed doubts about the public story of Major Metzger's disappearance, but he reserved judgment of the December shooting incident at the base until the investigation was completed. Mukashev did not expect the United States to replace the Kyrgyz airliner damaged in the September 26 collision, and seemed amenable to letting subject matter experts work out an agreement. Speaker Sultanov,s Views -------------- ¶5. (C) In a January 24 meeting with the Ambassador and visiting Central Asian Affairs Office Director Pamela Spratlen, Parliament Speaker Marat Sultanov raised two issues: base payments and the base shooting incident. While Sultanov understands that $150 million is the total amount of U.S. assistance to Kyrgyzstan, he said the public wants to see the $150 million as a separate line item in the budget. In an environment of rumor and fears of embezzlement, Sultanov argued that some information must be released publicly to counter public perceptions and suggested discussing this issue following his trip to the United States. He also noted that there is confusion in government circles regarding the exact amount being received for the base. ¶6. (C) Following the early December base shooting and subsequent negative public reaction, Sultanov said Parliament had to respond by adopting an edict requiring reconsideration of the status of the military personnel with the aim of applying Kyrgyz law in the event of an incident. The language adopted also included an "emotional, rather than a rational" demand for a higher base payment. A parliamentary commission headed by Defense and Security Issues Committee Chairman (and close Bakiyev ally) Rashid Tagayev is tasked with generating suggestions to implement the edict. Sultanov suggested that it "would be extremely helpful if the United States could find a way to provide assistance to the family" of the driver in order to mitigate tension. ¶7. (C) Sultanov carried the same message to Washington, raising the shooting incident and the lack of transparency of base payments with his U.S. government interlocutors in meetings on February 1 and 2. Sultanov said that the base remains a major issue for the Kyrgyz public and political elite, and thus affects U.S.-Kyrgyz bilateral relations. He said that the U.S. approach to base problems has seemed "legalistic," while Kyrgyz culture demands a more human approach. He also said that the U.S. needs to be more transparent regarding base payments. Comment -------------- ¶8. (C) Individual conversations with Kyrgyz parliamentarians regarding the U.S. air base tend to lack the shrill tone of many statements emanating from the floor of Parliament. However, misinformation about the investigation into the disappearance of Maj. Metzger, the September collision with a Kyrgyz airliner, and the December shooting, coupled with the lack of transparency regarding base-related payments, continue to feed anti-U.S. rhetoric, and we do not exclude that there will be unhelpful parliamentary hearings on the BISHKEK 00000124 003.2 OF 003 base. The parliamentarians warned that some in the government and the Parliament would continue to exploit the issue, even if they privately understood the value of the base to Kyrgyzstan, and the continued negative public impressions could have an impact on the base and more broadly on U.S.-Kyrgyz relations. We will continue to regularly engage parliamentarians, government officials, and the press to counter misperceptions about the air base. LITZENBERGER