Ombudswoman of Kyrgyzstan Atyr Abdrakhmatova made a statement. It was published in the media.
The statement says that, despite attempts to interfere and obstruct the activities of the Ombudsman, the reform of the Institute of Ombudsman will continue with the deputies of the Parliament, representatives of non-governmental human rights organizations.
«The existing system of bureaucracy, formal replies, unfortunately, is still preserved in the Institute of the Ombudsman. At the same time, all employees receive a salary, and the issue of payment of a monthly bonus to the basic salary «for the complexity, quality, results of work, initiative and irregular work hours in the amount of up to 50 percent of the official salary» has become a matter of constant manipulation and sabotage. Previously, all employees, without exception, under all ombudsmen, received these bonuses, regardless of the complexity, quality, results of work, irregular working hours.
This year, by decree of the President, the salaries of employees of the Office of the Ombudsman have been increased. The issue of payment of bonuses to the basic salary is regulated in accordance with labor legislation and the law «On Akyikatchy (Ombudsman) of the Kyrgyz Republic», where part 2 of Article 14 states that an Ombudsman’s Office is created to ensure the activities of the Institute. All savings of budgetary funds due to unused amounts allocated for payment bonuses remain in the country’s budget,» Atyr Abdrakhmatova says.
Akyikatchy recalled that the Institute of the Ombudsman in most countries of the world, as in Kyrgyzstan, is an institute of one person — the Ombudsman since he or she takes an oath, bears personal responsibility to the people in the face of Parliament for the human rights work. Therefore, the Office of Ombudsman should ensure its activities, and not write complaints or sabotage the work, as it happened many times in the history of the Institute of Ombudsman over the 20 years of its existence.
«Because of this, the issue of the need for such a body has long been discussed in society. Such actions are a violation of both labor legislation and the laws «On the Ombudsman (Akyikatchy) of the Kyrgyz Republic», and «On the State Civil and Municipal Service» (Articles 14-15). The goal of some political groups, using the dissatisfaction of individual employees of the Ombudsman’s Office with new requirements in their work, to discredit Atyr Abdrakhmatova is understandable and expected, since this tool always works in the public service system,» Atyr Abdrakhmatova emphasized.
She added that a few months ago, one of the employees of the Office said that he was approached by a representative of the State Committee for National Security with a request to write a complaint against Atyr Abdrakhmatova.
An employee of the State Committee for National Security allegedly said that the demand to discredit the Ombudsman by any means, initiate a criminal case and try to remove her from office through deputies, came from the head of the State Committee for National Security.
«Taking into account the high level of gossip and intrigue in the public service, in order to prevent provocations and unfounded mutual accusations of the two state bodies, realizing that the entire leadership of the country was busy resolving the issue of victims of armed aggression in Tajikistan, a proposal to meet at any opportunity was sent from the Akyikatchy to Kamchybek Tashiev,» the statement says.
Atyr Abdrakhmatova noted that the Ombudsman’s Office began collecting signatures against Atyr Abdrakhmatova. «At the same time, the name of the head of the State Committee for National Security was mentioned again, the names of the head of state and the Cabinet of Ministers were also mentioned. Attempts, using the political situation in the country, the names of officials, to discredit the Ombudswoman resumed against the backdrop of ongoing changes in the structure of the office,» Atyr Abdrakhmatova said.
In order to preserve the Institute of the Ombudsman, a commission was created to carry out personnel changes in the Office with the participation of MPs from each faction, a deputy group and three deputies who were not included in any faction or deputy group, as well as representatives of the presidential administration, the State Committee for National Security and human rights non-governmental organizations.
Members of the commission will be provided with all the information about each employee, the opportunity to ask questions about the standards of human rights activities and assess the commitment to the values of human rights and their protection. The results of the commission’s work will be made public.
According to previously written complaints, including those spread by the media, the Prosecutor General’s Office conducted an audit. No evidence was found for the arguments of complaints about violations in personnel matters, financial and economic activities, and payroll. Based on the results of the inspection, the Prosecutor General’s Office submitted to the Ombudswoman a recommendation on the violations committed by the staff of the Office in terms of the timing and procedure for considering citizens’ appeals.
