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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BISHKEK 000905 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/30/2019 
TAGS: PGOV PINT PREL KPAO KG
SUBJECT: KYRGYZ ELITE CONCERNED WITH ISLAMIFICATION, 
APPOINTMENTS AND ETHNIC NATIONALISM 
 
REF: REF: BISHKEK 563 
 
BISHKEK 00000905  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: Classified By: Amb. Tatiana C. Gfoeller, Reasons 1.4 (b) 
 and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: According to Aleksandr Voinov, the Director 
of the State Agency on Sports and Youth, President Bakiyev 
and the elite of Kyrgyzstan are growing more and more 
concerned about the Islamification of the country.  They are 
looking for creative ideas to combat it and have even 
discussed the problem with Uzbek President Karimov.  The 
Kyrgyz elite are also anxious about new appointments after 
the July Presidential elections, and many are hoping that 
Chief of the Presidential Administration Daniyar Usenov will 
be replaced.  Voinov also reports growing ethnic nationalism 
among the elite and a movement to replace all non-Kyrgyz in 
high posts.  END SUMMARY 
 
ALCOHOL TO BATTLE MOSQUES? 
-------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) Over the course of several meetings with EmbOff, 
Voinov conveyed the high degree of concern among Kyrgyz 
government elites regarding the perceived growing 
Islamification of the country.  Voinov claims that Bakiyev 
raises the issue often, and is particularly worried about the 
construction of new mosques in the country.  Bakiyev told 
Voinov that he is nearly at the point of banning new mosques, 
but is under strong pressure from &unmentioned parties8 to 
allow continued construction. 
 
¶3. (C) Voinov stated that Bakiyev has been looking to 
neighboring countries for advice and possible solutions. 
Bakiyev apparently discussed the problem with Uzbek President 
Karimov, who advised him to loosen alcohol sales in 
Kyrgyzstan so that the masses will learn to drink and reject 
a strict Islam that forbids alcohol.  Bakiyev said he was 
leaning against such a policy, but was willing to consider it 
out of desperation.  Bakiyev told Voinov that he hopes sports 
will give Kyrgyz youth an alternative to radical Islam and 
therefore promised to increase funding for sports. 
 
EXIT DANIYAR ("SHOW ME THE MONEY") USENOV? 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶4. (C) Voinov said that ministers and leading figures in the 
administration are nervous about their jobs in a possible 
reshuffle after the July Presidential election.  He said that 
many are optimistic, though, that Bakiyev will replace Chief 
of the Presidential Administration Daniyar Usenov, who is 
disdained by most of the elite.  Voinov says that Usenov has 
become the second most powerful person in the country since 
taking this job because Bakiyev gave him full authority to do 
whatever it took to ensure re-election.  Usenov was already 
one of the richest men in the country.  To hire Usenov, 
though, Bakiyev had to bend Kyrgyz laws to ignore Usenov's 
Kazakh citizenship. 
 
¶5. (C) Usenov has not only threatened and bullied people 
since taking the job, according Voinov, but has engaged in 
"personal corruption."  Usenov, for example, tried to take 
over control of the profitable sports stadiums and concert 
halls which Voinov currently controls.  Voinov took the issue 
to Bakiyev, who he says is aware of Usenov's corruption, and 
was barely able to convince the President to rule against 
Usenov.  Voinov and several others have complained to Bakiyev 
about Usenov, but Bakiyev asked them to be patient and wait 
until after the elections so that he could safely dismiss 
Usenov. 
 
COMING ETHNIC DISCRIMINATION? 
----------------------------- 
 
 
BISHKEK 00000905  002.6 OF 002 
 
 
¶6. (C) Voinov also complained to EmbOff about rising ethnic 
nationalism among Kyrgyz elites.  As a half-Russian and 
half-Dungan (ethnic Chinese Muslim) political figure, he 
often feels ostracized in personal interactions and has many 
opponents who want to replace him with an ethnic Kyrgyz.  He 
says that he and Prime Minister Igor Chudinov stand out more 
and more in elite circles as non-Kyrgyz. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
¶7. (C) While we cannot confirm Voinov,s information,  much 
of it fits with what we are hearing elsewhere.  The Deputy 
Minister of Education, for example, said that her top 
priority from the White House was not to raise educational 
standards, but to combat Islamic radicalization among youth. 
Usenov is certainly a divisive figure, though he did help 
Bakiyev win re-election, so his political future remains to 
be seen.  Ethnic Kyrgyz nationalism does also seem to be on 
the rise, bubbling up in the mass media and political 
debates. END COMMENT 
 GFOELLER