New Council of Elders to Advise Government
New Council of Elders to Advise Government
The Kyrgyz authorities have agreed to set up a Council of Elders, which NBCentralAsia observers say should help the government improve its decision-making.
On July 10, State Secretary Adakhan Madumarov proposed creating the a council, which will be a purely advisory body.
Maripa Tolomusheva, head of social policy in the presidential administration said President Kurmanbek Bakiev had approved the idea, and plans were under way to set up the 15-member council. “These will be prominent public figures with experience in government,” she said.
She added that it was still unclear whether the Council of Elders would be a state-funded body.
Political scientist Mars Sariev says analogous bodies exist in other countries, sometimes on an informal basis. He argues that its members should not be paid, and that they should discuss strategic political matters.
Marat Kazakbaev, another political analyst, says the council will not be seen as impartial unless its members work on a voluntary basis.
Mamat Aybalaev, a former governor of the Batken region, agrees that the new body must be independent and have the kind of members who can offer high-quality input.
“They won’t be effective if they always take the president’s side,” he said. “If the Council of Elders consists of people with a wealth of experience who are concerned about the future of the country, they will be able to help the government make decisions that benefit the people.”
Former member of parliament Orozbek Duysheev says the authorities sometimes come under pressure from business and political interest groups to make certain decisions. In such cases, the president or prime minister can turn to the council for advice.
However, Kazakbaev warns that there is a danger that the elders might prove to be a redundant link in the system that simply slows down the decision-making process.
(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)
On July 10, State Secretary Adakhan Madumarov proposed creating the a council, which will be a purely advisory body.
Maripa Tolomusheva, head of social policy in the presidential administration said President Kurmanbek Bakiev had approved the idea, and plans were under way to set up the 15-member council. “These will be prominent public figures with experience in government,” she said.
She added that it was still unclear whether the Council of Elders would be a state-funded body.
Political scientist Mars Sariev says analogous bodies exist in other countries, sometimes on an informal basis. He argues that its members should not be paid, and that they should discuss strategic political matters.
Marat Kazakbaev, another political analyst, says the council will not be seen as impartial unless its members work on a voluntary basis.
Mamat Aybalaev, a former governor of the Batken region, agrees that the new body must be independent and have the kind of members who can offer high-quality input.
“They won’t be effective if they always take the president’s side,” he said. “If the Council of Elders consists of people with a wealth of experience who are concerned about the future of the country, they will be able to help the government make decisions that benefit the people.”
Former member of parliament Orozbek Duysheev says the authorities sometimes come under pressure from business and political interest groups to make certain decisions. In such cases, the president or prime minister can turn to the council for advice.
However, Kazakbaev warns that there is a danger that the elders might prove to be a redundant link in the system that simply slows down the decision-making process.
(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)
