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Analysis: Kyrgyzstan's New President Promises Media Freedom

Posted on: Wednesday, 13 July 2005, 09:00 CDT

Text of editorial analysis by Jock Robertson of BBC Monitoring Media Services on 13 July

Kyrgyzstan's newly elected president Kurmanbek Bakiyev pledged on 11 July to strengthen democratic reforms and promote media freedom.

"We will do everything for Kyrgyzstan's democratic principles of development to strengthen and deepen... We must do this in order to have truly independent mass media, freedom of speech, and for civil society to be active in our country," Bakiyev said at his first news conference after winning almost 90 per cent of the vote in the 10 July presidential poll.

A joint foreign observer team from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the European Parliament said the vote showed "tangible progress" in meeting international standards on free and fair elections.

"Fundamental civil and political rights, such as the freedom of expression and the freedom of assembly, were generally respected, and the improved media environment provided the field of candidates with opportunities to present their views," the monitors said in a statement.

Although there have been some improvements in the area of press freedom since the 24 March revolution, media watchdog groups have called for these to be enshrined in law.

Lack of media access for opposition candidates had been one of the main complaints during the elections.

Ending state control

Immediately following the March revolution, Kyrgyzstan's interim authorities had pledged to lift state control over mass media outlets. Interim president Bakiyev repeated such a pledge during late May at meetings with OSCE officials in Vienna, where he said: "There should not be state-owned mass media outlets in Kyrgyzstan." A special governmental commission headed by Vice-Prime Minister Adakhan Madumarov was set up on 25 May. Madumarov was optimistic about the future of the media in Kyrgyzstan, saying: "Now all the mass media outlets will be given complete freedom."

A series of round-table discussions then took place under the auspices of the Kyrgyz parliament to discuss possible legislative changes to the country's media structure. Most of the legislative attention was focused on the state television channel, according to the official Kabar news agency. Representatives from the international NGO Internews also took part in an effort to draft new legislation governing state television's future operations, although any proposed changes could take months before they are ready for parliamentary consideration.

Proposed media changes

Some changes, however, have already been formulated, according to the director of Kabar news agency. There will only be one governmental newspaper, Erkin. There are to be no immediate changes to Kyrgyz national TV and radio, but two major newspapers, Slovo Kyrgyzstana and Kyrgyz Tuusu, are to be reorganized after the July presidential elections. The proposals for the newspapers are along the lines of a joint stock company, with less than half of the stock belonging to the government and the majority to be held by staff working for the publications, a proposal which appears to be acceptable to all parties.

The TV company Osh-3000 from the city of Osh is to be reorganized as a public TV channel which will receive state support for the first few years, after which it will become totally self- supporting.

Nothing to date has been decided about the national news agency, Kabar. This has been the state national news agency since 1995, and is likely to be a useful media outlet for a future government.

These changes may prove to be too few, inadequate and not likely to appease the mass media.

Government officials told OSCE representatives in Bishkek on 13 June that the provisional authorities wanted to turn state TV into a public entity whose operations would be governed by a board of directors, comprising officials and representatives of the general public. Critics of the plan, however, contend that the creation of such a board would not necessarily prevent government interference in the content and editorial policy of state TV broadcasts.

In early May, state TV employees issued a statement in which they complained about pressure from the interim government. At the same time, state TV executives are said to be resisting moves to restructure the channel, and wean it off public funds.

Print media

At present, Kyrgyzstan finds itself without a vocal opposition press. Although the state has retained considerable influence over broadcast media, many newspapers that prior to the revolution sided with the then opposition - such as Moya Stolitsa Novosti and Respublika - now generally support the provisional government. At the same time, those publications that were formerly controlled by ex-president Akayev, such as Vecherny Bishkek and Slovo Kyrgyzstana, have transferred their allegiance to the new rulers.

Uzbek-language media

Some observers are worried that existing media freedoms could be curtailed following Bakiyev's election victory. In particular, an Uzbek-language television station in southern Kyrgyzstan, where a sizeable ethnic Uzbek minority resides, has expressed concern about its future ability to operate in its current capacity. "It looks as though Kyrgyzstan does not need TV stations that have Uzbek- language programming," the station said in a written statement.

The statement was issued in reaction to comments made by Madumarov, who in late May expressed concern about the growing influence of Uzbek-language media outlets in southern Kyrgyzstan.

Apart from Uzbek transmitters from the neighbouring Fergana Valley there are only two Uzbek-language broadcasters in the Osh area, Mezon TV and Osh TV. There are moves afoot to switch Osh TV from VHF to the UHF frequency band, which would effectively mean the loss of 75 to 80 per cent of its audience and severely effect its advertising revenue, according to Khalil Khudaiberdiev, the director of Osh TV.

The new government will be more than aware that the one-sided information presented by the mass media of Uzbekistan has an impact on Kyrgyz citizens. "Uzbek TV broadcasts cover the frontier areas of Kyrgyzstan, forming public opinion on both sides," said Abdumalik Sharipov, an analyst with a Jalal-Abad-based human rights NGO.

Unless there are radical changes in neighbouring Uzbekistan, which in the near future appears unlikely, the Kyrgyz population in the border areas are likely to remain in the Uzbek propaganda domain.

Source: BBC Monitoring Media

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