Bishkek vice-mayor Ramiz Aliev has said he is ready to apologise to the public on his knees if accusations against him by MP Elvira Surabaldieva are proven,...
Bishkek vice-mayor Ramiz Aliev has said he is ready to apologise to the public on his knees if accusations against him by MP Elvira Surabaldieva are proven, while insisting no such fact exists.
Surabaldieva had criticised Aliev in parliament over a lack of openness, and deputies have pressed him on his family's business interests. Aliev responded that his family owns only one shop.
Why it matters: this is Kyrgyzstan's parliament doing its loudest job, holding city officials to account in public. The vice-mayor's dramatic offer shows how seriously Bishkek's politicians take being called out, and how quickly a local dispute becomes a national talking point.
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