BAKIYEV NOMINATES AG MINISTER AS NEXT PRIME

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BISHKEK 000079

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/26/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR KG
SUBJECT: BAKIYEV NOMINATES AG MINISTER AS NEXT PRIME
MINISTER

REF: BISHKEK 64

BISHKEK 00000079 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Amb. Marie L. Yovanovitch, Reason 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: On January 26, following consultations with
Speaker Marat Sultanov and parliamentary leaders, President
Bakiyev nominated Acting Minister of Agriculture Azim
Isabekov as Prime Minister. Isabekov is seen as loyal to
Bakiyev, without strong personal ambitions. Several MPs,
including members of the opposition, have said that they
expect Isabekov to be confirmed, and the vote in parliament
will likely take place on January 29. (Biographic
information on Isabekov follows at paragraph 6.) While
Bakiyev may have settled the current turmoil with the
Isabekov nomination, there is now the question of what is
next for rejected nominee Felix Kulov, the other half of the
"tandem" and still, we believe, a formidable political force
in Kyrgyzstan. Kulov turned down two other government
positions, and is reportedly bitter over the turn of events.
He told the press that he would answer questions on January

29. END SUMMARY.

NEW NOMINEE FOR PRIME MINISTER
--------------


2. (U) After parliament twice rejected Felix Kulov as the
nominee for prime minister (reftel),President Bakiyev met on
January 26 with Speaker of Parliament Marat Sultanov and the
leaders of parliamentary committees and factions to discuss
alternate candidates. Following the meeting, Bakiyev
announced his nomination of Azim Izabekov, the 46-year-old
Acting Minister of Agriculture. Parliamentarians who
attended the meeting, and even members of the opposition,
have said they expect Isabekov to be confirmed. The vote
will likely take place on Monday, January 29.

COMMENT
--------------


3. (C) In Isabekov, Bakiyev has found a technocrat and a
nominee who, judging from their past association, will be
loyal to Bakiyev and whose own lack of ambition will keep him
in the background. While Bakiyev may have settled the
current political crisis with the Isabekov nomination, there
is the looming question of what is next for twice-rejected
nominee Felix Kulov, the other half of the government's
"tandem." Bakiyev has outmaneuvered Kulov to break the
"tandem," but he has failed in his attempt to keep him "in
the tent" -- if that ever was Bakiyev's real intention.


4. (C) Bakiyev explained that he had not nominated Kulov for
a third time, because the government and the parliament and
the parliament had failed to establish "constructive working
relations." Whatever the machinations and the plotting that
went into the December 19 resignation of the government, the
failed pressure on parliament to dissolve, the two rejected
nominations of Kulov, Kulov must feel betrayed by Bakiyev.
Bakiyev did not lift a finger to support Kulov's nomination
in the parliament; in fact, MPs told us that they doubted
anyone would be approved as prime minister until Bakiyev
personally came to the parliamentarians to support a
nomination. Bakiyev also let Kulov take the heat over strong
parliamentary opposition to the HIPC initiative. Kulov, to
his credit, forcefully defended joining HIPC in the face of
hostile questioning from MPs.


5. (C) Kulov is ambitious, and although he has alienated a
number of people in government and in the opposition, we

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believe he remains a political force in Kyrgyzstan. At this
point, there is no one of similar stature from the north of
the country. In a January 24 meeting with the Ambassador and
visiting Central Asia Office Director Spratlen, Kulov was
calm and statesmanlike, though he clearly saw the writing on
the wall. He turned down two other "high" positions in
government (Note: we presume State Secretary and Secretary
of the Security Council),and is reportedly bitter about the
turn of events. He told the press late on January 26 that he
would hold a press conference on Monday, January 29.

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ON ISABEKOV
--------------


6. (SBU) Isabekov is a northerner, a member of the Solto
tribe, as is Kulov. He was born April 4, 1960 in Arashan
village in Chui Oblast. In 1986, he graduated from Kyrgyz
National University with a degree in economics. From 1986 to
1992, Isabekov was a Komsomol and Communist Party
functionary. In 1992-1993, he was the chief of staff of the
Alamedin district administration. Next, he served as
Director General of the Tash-Moinok Agricultural Association
(1993-1994),and then as the Director of the Ak-Bermet
private company (1994-1996). He returned to government
service in 1996, serving as a department head in the Chui
oblast administration.


7. (SBU) Since 1997, Isabekov has been closely tied to
Bakiyev, following him through different posts. When Bakiyev
was Chui governor from 1997-2000, Isabekov was his chief of
staff. When Bakiyev was prime minister in 2001-2002,
Isabekov was the head of the local administration department
in the prime minister's office, effectively Bakiyev's "eyes
and ears" throughout the country. When Bakiyev resigned in
the aftermath of the Aksy events, Isabekov left his position
too. From 2002 to 2004, Isabekov was the director of the
State Fund for Economic Development, a body that had
negligible impact. Isabekov worked on the staff of Bakiyev's
2005 presidential election campaign, and following the
election, he became first deputy chief of staff at the
presidency, as well as head of the department for
organization work and state management policy, an influential
post. On May 10, 2006, he was appointed Minister of
Agriculture. (Note: He is currently the "Acting" Minister
because on December 19, 2006, the Kyrgyz government resigned
en masse, remaining in their posts until a new government is
formed. End Note).


8. (C) We have not worked closely with Isabekov, but we have
heard generally positive things about him, and that he is an
able technocrat. He has never traveled to the United States.
YOVANOVITCH