Government of Switzerland supported trainings for the local kenesh deputies of the new convocation

Two-day trainings for more than a thousand newly elected deputies of local keneshes were held from May 24 to July 2, 2021 in the Kyrgyz Republic. The dynamics of the participants' knowledge growth averaged 51%.

The main goal of the training is to improve knowledge and skills of the local kenesh deputies of the new convocation on organizational, legal, financial and economic foundations of local self-government (LSG), planning activities of LSG bodies and interaction with state bodies, rights and competence of a local kenesh deputy, citizen participation in the decision-making process, and local kenesh accountability to the local community, transparency and efficiency of management of local budget funds.

Trainings were carried out in the framework of the “Voice of Citizens and Accountability of LSG: Budgetary Process” Project financed by the Government of Switzerland and implemented by the Development Policy Institute[1].

“With the Project support, 1052 local kenesh deputies of the new convocation from 411 aiyl keneshes and the city of Kemin were trained (elections were held in 420 aiyl keneshes). For a large part of the local kenesh deputies of the 2021 convocation, local self-government is a new sphere of activity, so they need professional knowledge in order to properly exercise their powers and be more transparent and accountable in their activities to citizens. Along with the rights, deputies must understand their duties, role and responsibility in the budgetary process, obligation to take into account the needs of population, men and women, youth, all groups of the population and engage citizens in addressing issues of local significance. This convocation is very special. For the first time, a mechanism for ensuring gender equality used, which allowed women in Kyrgyzstan to exercise their right to be elected as a deputy of the local kenesh through a 30% quota in the distribution of mandates for persons of the same sex. Issue of gender equality was also considered during the training and discussion of inclusive development issues at the local level” said Bekbolot Bekiev, Project Manager.

Additionally, online training on other topics will be organized for the local kenesh deputies on the Best Practices Portal www.myktyaimak.gov.kg, which is also supported by the Government of Switzerland.

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[1] Development Policy Institute in the framework of the “Voice of Citizens and Accountability of LSG: Budgetary Process” Project, financed by the Government of Switzerland strengthens citizen participation in the decision-making process, improve the capacity of local self-governments, ensure transparent management of public finances and improve legislation for further development of local self-governance. For more details: www.vap.kg