UA officials share grassroots democracy with Kyrgyzstan
Columbus Local News (Columbus, OH)
Posted on July 5, 2011
By Mark Dubovec
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| Six delegates from Kyrgyzstan stand with UA Council President Frank Ciotola and Council Vice President Mary Ann Krauss. The delegates work for the Kyrgyz Parliament and traveled last week to the Columbus area through the Columbus International Program and the Open World Program to experience American forms of government. |
Six staff members who work for the Kyrgyz parliament came to Central Ohio through Columbus International Program and the Open World Program to experience American government from June 24 through July 1.
Kyrgyzstan, which became independent when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, developed a parliamentary form of government in April 2010, after President Kurmanbek Bakiyev was ousted.
They visited UA June 28 to learn how local governments operate, how their leaders interact with constituents and what role they place in American democracy, according to a press release from the Columbus International Program.
The visiting delegates were:
* Zhyldyz Samidinovna Kamchybekova, department head for the Kyrgyz Parliament Committee on Constitution and State Regulation;
* Altynbek Mamayusupov, deputy director of the office for International Cooperation and director of the Foreign Relations Division for the Kyrgyz Parliament;
* Aychurok Nazaraliyeva, department head for the staff of the Rules and Ethics Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic Parliament;
* Alisher Zhaparov, officer in Records Management Section of the Kyrgyz Parliamentary Administrative office;
* Manas Zholdoshbekov, department head for the Kyrgyz Parliamentary Committee on International Affairs and Cooperation; and
* Nurilya Barakanova, general director of the Aigul Joint Stock Co.
They were accompanied by translator Sash Etlin, CIP Executive Director Mark Poeppelman and Phil Beltz, a CIP board member and longtime UA resident.
In UA, the delegation met with Council President Frank Ciotola, Council Vice President Mary Ann Krauss, City Clerk Beverly Clevenger, First Assistant City Attorney Tom Lindsey, Finance Director Cathe Armstong, Senior Planning Officer Chad Gibson and Police Chief Brian Quinn.
Ciotola said local government is where government affects people on a day-to-day basis.
"People really know what you're about," Ciotola said.
"If we don't do it right, I hear about it in the grocery store or church."
UA was one of several stops throughout Central Ohio for the delegates.
They also met officials from the Columbus city auditor, the governor's office, the Ohio Senate, the Ohio House of Representatives, the Ohio Supreme Court, the Department of Veterans Services, the League of Women Voters of Ohio, the County Commissioners Association of Ohio and the Legislative Services Commission.
[Reprinted with Permission]
