Members of the socialist Ata-Meken party have suggested that MPs of the Kyrgyz parliament travel to work by bus and reject the cars given to them by parliament. MPs of other factions have reacted ambiguously to the idea.
Akunaly Dosaly, an MP from Ata-Meken, said in an interview with Kloop.kg that on January 20, a meeting of the faction proposed reducing members’ access to personal transport and noted a parliamentary “shuttle service” as a more suitable means of going to work.
“In each faction, there could be one or two duty vehicles while the majority of MPs could take the bus. They could arrive in the morning then be brought back in the evening,” said Dosaly.
The elected representative noted that currently, the parliamentary cars stand outside the legislature from dawn to dusk.
The Ata-Meken faction’s idea was supported by the Social Democratic Party MP Egemberdi Ermatov, who said that cars are completely unnecessary.
“We [with MP Torobai] Zulpukarov take a company car for two… if I’m a deputy of the people’s parliament, then why shouldn’t I use public transport?” asked Ermatov.
Ar-Namys MP Kanybek Osmonaliyev told Kloop.kg that he was not interested in “all sorts of privileges and preferences.”
“For me, it is necessary to establish the minimum requirements in order to perform the duties of a deputy,” said the MP.
Nazarali Aripov of Respublika had the same opinion. He said that for him the main thing – is cutting costs from the Jogorku Kenesh budget. Aripov himself goes to work in his own transport – a Lexus LX470.
“Cars are not a luxury, but a necessity”
But Zhyldyzkan Joldosheva, a deputy from the faction Ata-Jurt, told Kloop.kg that she was displeased by plans to reduce the official fleet, calling Omurbek Tekebayev’s proposal “frivolous public relations.”
“I have a house in Bishkek – I refused a (state-funded) apartment. But the car, I cannot refuse because it is not a luxury but a necessity,” commented Joldosheva.
“Abroad, as part of [MPs] salaries, transportation costs are offered. [...] If you want to ride the subway, you want a Mercedes, you want a bike. How an MP goes to work, it’s his decision,” said the Ata-Jurt MP.
Tatyana Levina, an MP from Ar-Namys, said she had “no problems” refusing a car from the parliamentary fleet, but to use “deputy coaches” as part of a campaign in parliament is, in her words, “wrong.”
“If you give up company cars, you need to give up everything – payments, subsidies… Well, how would that look? All live in different parts of the city. I think our voters would find it more annoying, because our pensioners cannot ride buses for free – they must pay a fee,” said the MP.
“There are so many moments where the suggestion does not get to work. For me there is no problem to take a bus to get there. But I have a lot of trips. [...] and this will be a problem,” continued the MP.
Earlier in an interview with Kloop.kg, the director of the Jogorku Kenesh’s transport department, Anarbek Kambarov reported that in the entire parliamentary fleet, there are 75 cars, all belonging to the brand Toyota Camri, 10 of which are paid for by the Interior Ministry.
Author: Begimai Bekbolotova