AT FIRST GLANCE, NEW MVD MINISTER IMPRESSES

C O N F I D E N T I A L BISHKEK 000178 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/CEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/20/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR KG SUBJECT: AT FIRST GLANCE, NEW MVD MINISTER IMPRESSES Classified By: Ambassador Marie L. Yovanovitch, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) . ¶1. (C) On February 12, Ambassador met with newly appointed Minister of Interior Moldomusa Kongantiyev. She was accompanied by RSO Shane Ronish and Senior Advisor for Law Enforcement Affairs Bob Delcore. ¶2. (C) The Minister said that his priorities are reforming the MVD, so that emphasis is placed on crime prevention and working in partnership with communities. He said that he was also placing emphasis on working collaboratively with the NGO sector and said that two working groups have already been formed with NGO leaders at the helm: one to prevent crime by minors and one to assist the homeless. Kongantiyev requested assistance in establishing a homeless shelter and a detention facility for minors and said he would organize a follow-up meeting with his NGO partners. Unprompted, he noted that the rights of the homeless and others must be protected. Kongantiyev said he had reorganized the 9th Department, which was previously assigned to counter terrorism and extremism (these responsiblities were shifted back to GKNB),to work with community groups and NGOs and to be more responsive to the people. Asked pointblank whether the 9th Department would be used as a tool to work against these groups, he said no. ¶3. (C) In his short tenure, the Minister has been vocal about his desire to reform the MVD. As articulated to the press, his other stated goals are to reorganize the MVD and Interior Forces, which report to the MD, more actively combat the financial support structures of organized crime and extremist groups, and prevent illegal migration. ¶4. (C) Kongantiyev expressed concern about the Traffic Police (GAI) and noted that he had fired the previous head Colonel Poliyak, because he was not taking action to prevent traffic-related deaths. He also criticized Poliyak for his focus on fee-based services. Kongantiyev said that corruption needs to be rooted out of the GAI, but to do this, salaries need to be higher and the process for how to administer traffic tickets (and fines) must be changed. ¶5. (C) COMMENT: Kongantiyev is rumored to be very close to and controlled by President Bakiyev's brother, Janesh, who is, in turn, rumored to control the "Power Ministries," including the MVD and the GKNB. While this may be true, Kongantiyev nevertheless impressed all of us at this first meeting. He said all the right things regarding both policing and the need for police to observe the rights of individuals and appeared to be eager to work with us, especially on the homeless shelter, the detention facility, and the MCC Threshold Program. We are certainly ready to meet the new Minister half-way, but like the NGO community, which is in a state of shock and suspicious over the Minister's readiness to work with it, we remain sceptical that Kongantiyev is the real deal. The proof will be in his actions. YOVANOVITCH