Kyrgyz president admits he failed to tackle poverty

Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev admitted failures in tackling poverty in a speech to trade unionists in Bishkek on Tuesday [17th October], twelve days before the country's presidential elections.

"Today, when there is an election campaign is under way, my opponents are accusing me of many things.

In their opinion, the reforms have been badly managed, we have been combating corruption inefficiently and we have worked badly with specialists," Akayev said in a speech broadcast by Kyrgyz TV.

"However, there is an accusation, which I bring against myself with more severity than that of any of my opponents. To my deep regret, we failed to protect people from poverty and to preserve the feeling of confidence in tomorrow, which is known well to those who grew up in the Soviet era," he said.

Akayev, speaking to union representatives to mark a labour day, said his main task during his period of rule since Kyrgyz independence in 1991 had been to protect people's standards of living.

"If you ask me which was the most difficult thing during nine years of independence, I will not speak about reforming the economy, nor about setting up new state relations or about a change in ideology. My main concern and pain all through these years was to protect people from poverty, shortages of food and impoverishment.

"The main task... which I tackled daily during these years was to maintain the possible maximum living standards of the people," he said.

Source: Kyrgyz Television first channel, Bishkek, in Russian 1430 gmt 17 Oct 00

BBC Mon CAU 171000/** tpm/mk

Email this article
Posted October 13, 2000 © Eurasianet
http://www.eurasianet.org

	The Central Eurasia Project aims, through its website, meetings, papers, and grants, to foster a more informed debate about the social, political and economic developments of the Caucasus and Central Asia. It is a program of the Open Society Institute-New York. The Open Society Institute-New York is a private operating and grantmaking foundation that promotes the development of open societies around the world by supporting educational, social, and legal reform, and by encouraging alternative approaches to complex and controversial issues. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the position of the Open Society Institute and are the sole responsibility of the author or authors.