Mi Ami Vice (Speaker)

It took 3 languages to make that pun work - and barely at that - so I hope you enjoyed it.

After the whiskey shot (see below) and a few hours at my desk working to let it wear off, I was grabbed by the shoulded by Bektash, an RFE correspondent who focuses on Kyrgyz politics and economic development. He asked if I wanted to meet the Vice-Speaker of the Kyrgyz Parliament. That simple.

I said, "um, sure?"

On the short taxi ride over (note: a Kyrgyz taxi is anyone who drives a car that isn't full. There are official taxis, but generally you can negotiate a ride around downtown bishkek with anyone moving in your general direction), Bektash explained to me the history of gold mining and precious mineral extraction in Kyrgyzstan, the topic of our upcoming interview. The subject: Kubanychbek Isabekov, Vice-Speaker of the Kyrgyz Parliament, and head of the committee on natural resources.

A brief word about resources in Kyrgyzstan.

Though not much discussed in American media, Central Asia is one of the several very large oil-producing regions in the world. While we tend to focus on the Middle East as the be-all, end-all of petrol, in point of fact US oil supply is much more dependent on Venezula, Canada, and its own Gulf deposits, while Asia benefits from Indonesian wells. Only Europe is without its own significant reserves (the North Sea being the only possible exception), and so it relies very heavily on Middle Eastern and Central Asian sources for its oil and gas. Keep in mind that Central Asian oil - still not fully developed - powered the Soviet Union for 40 years. Now that the Iron Curtain is down, Europe is trying to access these resources - preferrably without Russian involvement.

Oil companies are having a field day in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, but unfortunately the smaller, mountainous republics of the Kyrgyz and Tajiks are lacking in significant oil or (natural) gas deposits. Additionally, since both are land-locked and bordered by no-transit zones (Iran and China), they stand nothing to gain by the oil boom. It is interesting to note - and surely the subject of a future post - that the more ruthless autocracies have been able to persist thanks in no small part to the enormous investment revenue of international oil (in fairness, multinational corporations often have inverse interests to those of the local population, which coupled with their disproportionate means to pursue them commonly leads to this result. therefore, this a rail not against the oil industry in specific, but simply about one recurring negative side effect of international capitalism, of which oil happens to be a prominent example).

Also note, this is only investment. The countries are not yet producing enough oil to be silly-rich like the Saudis; for now, they're getting paid in-advance for future returns, allowing the leaders to fortify their positions and ensure a rigid sociol and economic order before prosperity (for the chosen status quo elite) arrives.

On the other hand, Kyrgyzstan, with no oil and only minimal foreign investment, has the most democratic government in the region. Still, this is only a relative democracy, a point to which (again) we must turn later. For now, it is important to know that the Kyrgyz government is run by President Bakiev, who's party, Ak Jol, also controls 71 of the 90 Parliamentary seats, and all major executive and legislative positions. The opposition in Parliamen is comprised primarily of the Social Democrats (11 seats) and the Communists (8 seats), though many smaller parties exist without a single seat.

Mr. Isabekov is of course a member of Ak Jol, which is itself less a political party (despite the name; "people's party"), and more accurately the title chosen post-election by those politicians who decided to back (unconditionally) President Bakiev.

While Kyrgyzstan does not have any oil or gas, it does have significant amounts of other precious minerals (gold, copper, etc.) burried in its enormous mountain ranges. These are, accordingly, of great importance to any possible future prosperity for Kyrgyzstan.

So I was going to meet with a lead figure (ok, 4th from the top when even the #2 guy - Prime Minister - was a Very distant second from the cult of Bakiev), to discuss with him an issue of major international (mostly Canadian) investment. And by "Discuss" you understand I mean "Listen." And by "Listen," you understand I mean, "sit there are guess what the Kyrgyz means."

Still, pretty heady assignment for my first day "on the job."

After clearing up a little issue at the door - security guard didn't want to let an American into the government building without express consent from above - we made our way to the Vice-Speaker's office. Bektash filled me in more on Kyrgyz politics while the receptionist and bodyguard (?) chatted politely. Thank goodness I already knew some of the background from my courses at Columbia, or I would have been really lost (how are you doing, by the way?).

Isabekov himself was a genial younger man, with noticeably strong hands. He is former military, but it shows only in the most subtle of ways. He did not speak English, a trait for which he apologized and explained that he was raised to be a farmer before proudly pointing to a photograph of his son and daughter, both fluent in English and studying at universities in America. It remains unclear to me if lack of english fluency is considered an intellectual deficit (which is ridiculous but something I did come across in Europe), or if it is simply polite to explain why my foreign tongue is not being used in the Kyrgyz capital building.

Mr. Isabekov had been to America, I was informed, on trips to learn more about gold mining and other mineral extraction. He'd visited a mine in Reno, Nevada and met with several Western governors (he asked if Montana was much like Texas, and I had to admit it was, except without the heat and mexican food). He'd been to Chicago, LA and DC, with meetings at Dept. State and the Pentagon - an especially odd experience he said for someone who trained in the army to defeat the American military.

The interview itself revealed few surprises - or didn't seem to. Again, an all-Kyrgyz exchange made any nuanced observation impossible. When Bishtaki was finished with the official business, he inquired if I wanted to ask Mr. Isabekov any direct question.

I must admit that, despite spending their entire interview formulating potential queries, I initially balked. What do I know about gold mining, or international investment, or even journalism!?! We conducted some nicities, then I decided to go for it.

Bektash acted as my translator as I asked the following (better worded here thanks to the not-real-time of written communication):

"I know that in the history of the United States, we had great trouble with mining companies abusing their workers. This was made possible because mines usually operate in remote places and the workers are dependent on the company for many of their basic necessities. The United States and many other countries developed strict regulations to protect workers in these dangerous circumstances, and I was wondering if Mr. Isabekov could tell me about the regulations the Kyrgyz government has put in place to protect Kyrgyz workers at these new mining facilities?"

I'm not sure how exactly that was translated back to Kyrgyz, but this is (approximately) the response I got, filtered through a rough translation, and generally summarized.

"After 9/11, Kyrgyzstan pledged aid to the United States, and made itself available to help America in its fight [against terrorism]. Kyrgyzstan opened [Manas] airbase for US use (btw - set to be closed, contentiously, in August 2009) and commenced extensive cooperative military and tactical training exercises. Kyrgyzstan is a friend of the United States, and of course we also learn from them and protect our people as any nation must."

As Bektash confirmed later, this is what it means to get the Party Line.

We left on the same good terms with which we entered, and Mr. Isabekov made a point of giving me one of his business cards, making the entire journey indescribably valuable. I'm keeping the card in my passport, and it should prove to be a "golden ticket" if the police decide to give me any trouble (as they occasionally do - only for the purpose of sneaking some money from your wallet while "inspecting" it).

Another day, another interview with a not-quite-head-of-state.

Weber (on the lamb)