The Ministry of Justice accused some mass media of showing administrative changes in Uzbekistan, in particular, the combination of ministries and the termination of some state organizations, only in a negative light.
“Of course, it’s good that opinions are different, but some media and social networks are organizing interviews with people who are not experts on the issue or who claim to be experts, even though they don’t have the necessary knowledge and experience. They are engaged in showing and evaluating the reforms unilaterally only from a negative point of view to their observers. In particular, these days, Kun.uz and Qalampir.uz published a series of interviews,” the Justice Ministry said in a statement.
In recent weeks, Kun.uz published interviews with economist Abdulla Abdukadirov, law activist Abdurakhmon Tashanov and education expert Bakhodir Ganiyev, and Qalampir.uz with political scientist Hamid Sodiq on the topic of administrative reform. In these conversations, experts expressed their opinions not only about the positive aspects of the administrative changes taking place, but also about their shortcomings.
The Ministry of Justice called the interviewees of the media “persons who declare themselves to be experts” and accused them of irresponsibility.
“First of all, it should be noted that it is desirable to have the necessary knowledge, skills and experience, and to base on a deep analysis in giving this or that opinion, assessment in such a matter. Because it is the performance of irresponsibility to express such a professional issue as administrative reform through light-hearted approaches, one’s own feelings and views, especially through the mass media,” the official statement of the state body reads.
According to the ministry, “experienced experts of international organizations and international financial institutions, including representatives of the UN” participated in the development of administrative reforms. Apart from the UN, participation of other international organizations and experts, their accepted and rejected proposals have not been disclosed.
The Ministry of Justice and other initiators may have really consulted with international experts on administrative reform, but they were not interested in the opinion of the voters – the citizens of Uzbekistan. Projects in this regard were not submitted to public discussion. Last year, the Ministry of Justice was one of those who opposed the abolition of the rule that all normative legal documents must be subject to public discussion. Kun.uz wrote that there are factors that refute the ministry’s official explanation in this regard.
