Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BISHKEK178
2008-02-20 13:10:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bishkek
Cable title:
AT FIRST GLANCE, NEW MVD MINISTER IMPRESSES
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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)
.
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
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