KYRGYZ GOVERNMENT RESIGNS, PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BISHKEK 001139

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN (GORKOWSKI)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/20/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL KG
SUBJECT: KYRGYZ GOVERNMENT RESIGNS, PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES
SWEEPING CHANGES

REF: BISHKEK 1114

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Classified By: Ambassador Tatiana C. Gfoeller, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: In a speech before Parliament today,
President Bakiyev announced the outlines of sweeping
government reforms. As part of the reforms, the President
has created a new Presidential Institute which will replace
the Presidential apparatus and be composed of several bodies,
including a re-vamped Foreign Ministry and State Advisor on
Defense, Security and Order. Following the speech, according
to a news website, the entire government resigned, including
all ministers, heads of state committees, and heads of state
agencies. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) In a speech before Parliament today, President
Bakiyev announced the outlines of sweeping changes in the
structure of the government. The majority of the speech
consisted of laying out principles and goals, and explaining
changes in the government organizational chart. Bakiyev did
not mention the names of any officials who would be gaining
or losing jobs, nor did he offer any numbers regarding the
people and resources that would be transferred between
government ministries. Overall, Bakiyev estimated that the
reforms would save half a billion Som (about $11.6 million),
or 1% of the annual government budget of 47 billion som ($1.1
billion). Presumably, the majority of the savings would come
from laying off government workers, but Bakiyev did not
announce a total number of layoffs, or from which ministries
the layoffs would come.

Restructuring the Office of the President
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3. (SBU) Bakiyev said that only a five bodies would be part
of the Presidential apparatus, renamed the Presidential
Institute: the Presidential staff, the Secretariat, a
Central Agency for Innovation, Development and Investment,
the Foreign Ministry, and a State Advisor on Defense,
Security and Order, responsible for coordinating the power
ministries. The latter will take over the functions of the
current Security Council, which was also abolished.
Additionally, a Presidential Conference, composed of the
heads of the five Presidential agencies, plus the Prime
Minister and the Speaker of the Parliament, will play a
policy-coordinating function.


4. (SBU) The purpose of including the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs within the Presidential Institute, according to the
text of the speech, is to raise its stature so that it can
better coordinate the foreign affairs activities and policy
of the Government.

Kyrgyz Government Resigns
--------------


5. (SBU) Following the speech, according to a news website,
the entire government resigned, including all ministers,
heads of state committees, and heads of state agencies. As
yet, there is no news of resignations within the Presidential
Administration.

Comment
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6. (C) The reforms announced today confirm what the Head of
the Presidential Secretariat told us in an earlier meeting
(REFTEL). At first glance, it would appear that the
Secretariat is attempting to improve decision-making in the
government and reduce bureaucratic delays. The President's
behavior as he delivered the speech, however, did not
indicate a deep involvement with the text. Several times,
apparently getting bored with reading long lists of
transferred government functions, he skipped to the end of

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sections, summing up with "and a lot more!" This is a
significant change in the bureaucracy of Kyrgyzstan. It will
only be possible to judge its implications as we see how the
new structures are populated and how they function over the
coming weeks and months.
GFOELLER