Global Voices Online

The Kyrgyzstani blogosphere has been actively discussing the results of a national survey conducted by the International Republican Institute (IRI) in May 2007, in which around 1500 Kyrgyz inhabitants aged 18 and above took part.

According to survey’s results, unemployment, economic development, corruption and political crises are believed to be the biggest problems Kyrgyzstan is currently facing. People of the country are mostly concerned about the threat of war, uprisings, and economic and political instability, as the survey shows.

Some rather pessimistic notes on the survey’s actually positive indicators about Kyrgyzstan’s situation were posted on forums.

For instance, IoLa thinks that there has been a substantial change for the worse, even though the survey indicates overall economic and social progress and development. Zoltan also disagrees with some of the survey’s outcomes (both links in Russian):

Интересно кто это написа что им лучше живется, наверное жогорку кенеш опрашивали!?!?!?

Another interesting survey was conducted by the Russian online newspaper “Novyi Region”. It aimed to identify the sexiest president of the former Soviet Union.

Among the 15 heads of state, Kyrgyzstan's president Kurmanbek Bakiyev turns out to be the fifth-sexiest president. An interesting group discussion of this topic is found at Svobodnoe Pokolenie (Free Generation) and the survey's preliminary results were posted by Mirsulzhan on neweurasia (both links in Russian).

Честно говоря, меня тревожит факт, что нашему Салиевичу кроме сексуальности нечем хвалиться. Обыдна. Если Салиевич сексуальный - то Бабанов кто?

The blogosphere’s discussion was not limited to survey results only; the Failed States Index published annually by the Fund for Peace and Foreign Policy magazine has also attracted bloggers’ attention. Asel on neweurasia and Shannon on nonpon published posts on the ranking results, according to which Kyrgyzstan drops thirteen spots to #41. Here's what Shannon says:

Kyrgyzstan, on the other hand, allegedly stepped the furthest from the abyss, dropping a full 13 spots to #41. Encouragingly, the drop was due to lower rankings nearly across the board, albeit extremely marginal. The ability of Kyrgyz to flee the country seems to be the main factor keeping it ranked above Turkmenistan.

The Kyrgyzstani blogosphere constantly elaborates on current political issues, and the last two weeks were not an exception. A heated debate about a detained spy lady, a worker of Kyrgyz Parliament’s press service, who was allegedly relaying secret information to China, can be seen on different blogs.

Baisalov argues that there is absolutely no state and military secret information in the parliament, while anonymous notes that possibly it was just a PR action of Sutalinov, head of the State Committee of National Security, who likes acting this way. Naryn Aiyp comments on Djekshenkulov’s (former Minister of Foreign Affairs) statement that it was not right to announce on spy’s criminal action right before the upcoming SCO summit in Bishkek this August (links in Russian).