Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ASHGABAT431
2008-04-07 08:47:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:  

TOWN MEETING TURKMEN-STYLE

Tags:  PGOV ECON SOCI TX 
pdf how-to read a cable
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000431 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV ECON SOCI TX
SUBJECT: TOWN MEETING TURKMEN-STYLE

REF: ASHGABAT 0023

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000431

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV ECON SOCI TX
SUBJECT: TOWN MEETING TURKMEN-STYLE

REF: ASHGABAT 0023


1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.


2. (SBU) SUMMARY: The administration of a building where
foreigners and well-off Turkmen reside recently decided to
hold a town meeting to inform residents of a switch from
private satellite dishes to communal cable TV. Since this
has been a contentious issue in Ashgabat, it appears that the
administration saw this as a way to prevent problems with the
residents, all of whom could certainly afford to live
elsewhere.


3. (SBU) Townhall meetings often are held more for people to
vent than to share or provide information. Regardless the
purpose, town halls serve important civic functions. They
can help those in charge to gauge sentiment, making it easier
to be responsive. They also promote stability by giving
people an avenue to express their views and thereby serve as
a safety valve. In dealing with customers, it also makes
good business sense.

NOT HAPPY CAMPERS


4. (SBU) One of the more unpopular presidential initiatives
has been the removal of private satellite dishes from
apartment buildings to please the president's sense of
aesthetics (reftel). Residents worried that this would
signal the end of their prized access to international
(mostly Russian and Turkish) TV programming and the game
shows, variety programs, soap operas, and sitcoms to which
Turkmen have become addicted. What this would actually mean
to the average viewer in terms of program choice and cost was
the source of endless speculation. Local governments seemed
to tread a fine line, needing to implement the president's
wishes while not stirring up discontent. A go-slow approach
that at first moved dishes to the back sides of buildings
where they could not be viewed from the street, and then
assurances to residents that the number of channels would not
be diminished and costs would remain low (for now),seemed to
be the preferred tack.

TOWN MEETING


5. (SBU) On April 4, the administration of an elite
apartment building, where some American Embassy employees
live, held a meeting to inform residents of the impending
switch from private to communal satellite dishes and cable.
The building is owned by the Ministry of Oil and Gas.
Residents include expat businesspeople and diplomats, as well
as well-to-do Turkmen. Days before, notices in Russian and
Turkmen (although not in English, which many of the foreign
building residents read),were taped near the elevator
announcing the meeting. EmbOff spoke with several residents
who were interested in attending and wondered what the
switchover would mean for them.


6. (SBU) Only about 11 residents showed up for the
meeting, including EmbOff. In addition to providing
information on the switchover, the meeting was also clearly
designed to give residents an opportunity to vent. The
representative of the building administration explained that
the private satellite dishes would be removed in three days,
and the building would have four communal satellite dishes
that would provide access to 700-800 channels, including 60
in Russian. These would be available to each apartment for a
$120 flat fee. One attendee asked why they had to pay a fee,
when other buildings were getting cable for free. The
representative explained that this was an elite building, and
they had to pay. If residents preferred, they could get the
four Turkmen channels and five Russian ones for free. If
they wanted anything more, they would have to ante up.


7. (SBU) Then ensued a long discussion about payment. Some
people were concerned about having to pay.

ASHGABAT 00000431 002 OF 002


Others wondered if those who didn't pay would be able to
cheat and still get the 700-800 channels. And who would pay
for diplomats - their embassy or international organization?
A resident, who is a lawyer, said the building should pay.
People wanted to keep the dishes they had already paid for,
rather than let them be carted away by the city workers who
would come to disconnect them. After listening to this
discussion, the exasperated representative said that people
could make a scandal if they wanted, but further complaints
should be taken to the mayor's office. He and his staff had
nothing to do with this process.


8. (SBU) COMMENT: In one resident's view, the meeting was
an attempt by the building administration to prevent
problems, by offering residents a forum to receive some
information, ask questions, and express concerns. Perhaps
they decided to be proactive because some foreigners live in
the building, but no special effort was made to alert the
foreign (generally English-speaking) residents. Although
powerless to change the inevitable, more than likely the
building administration realized that springing the change on
residents, all of whom would have the money or ability to
live elsewhere, would not make good business sense. END
COMMENT.
HOAGLAND