At a recent meeting of the Jogorku Kenesh, deputies expressed dissatisfaction with the statements of their colleague Erlan Kokulov.
Erlan Kokulov, who took 10 minutes of his time to speak, made remarks regarding the work of journalists. He urged media representatives to adhere to the norms of professional ethics and legality. According to him, after his previous speech, he felt a certain information pressure, including distorted news coverage about himself.
At the meeting, Deputy Kokulov stated that there is a "journalistic mafia" in Kyrgyzstan.
He noted that the true role of a journalist is to provide objective and professional coverage of events.
"In practice, however, we see that many journalists present information in a biased and unreliable manner, especially regarding me. I have raised this issue more than once, and in response, I have faced an attack from the journalistic mafia, which ignores all ethical norms. Some of them, like Ilim Mr. openly declare that they are gossipers, yet their posts continue to be spread by other journalists. The law is the same for everyone, but it seems that it does not matter for journalists," Kokulov stated.
He also added that information about other deputies is presented without distortion, while his words are intentionally misrepresented.
"Of course, there are also honest journalists, for which I sincerely apologize. However, to those who operate outside the law, I want to say: I know that you are getting paid for discrediting materials about deputies. If this does not stop, I am ready to name all the names. I know who gets cash and for what," he emphasized.
Kokulov noted that his words are often distorted.
"When I discuss pharmacy issues in Tone, I am blamed for lacking a medical education. When I talk to the president about problems, I am accused of complaining. The incident with UPSM was also distorted to portray me in an unfavorable light," the deputy added.
Speaker Marlen Mamataliyev, in response, noted that at a recent meeting with the leaders of deputy groups, it was decided that all 10-minute speeches should be coordinated with the faction leaders. He urged colleagues to raise important issues from the podium.
Deputy Akylbek Tumonbaev noted that significant issues should be discussed on such high platforms, rather than personal grievances on social media.
"These are his personal interests, but he spent 15 minutes talking about his disputes with a traffic officer and a journalist, which distracts attention from more important topics. If he has problems, let him resolve them outside this podium," he said.
Tumonbaev also emphasized that there are many unresolved issues in his constituency, such as education and water supply, which are not raised at meetings.
Deputy Elvira Surabaldiyeva added that in the previous convocation, she was not allowed to speak, citing personal topics.
"In this convocation, perhaps you have special relationships, but I also have many important topics. I believe that such issues should be discussed elsewhere, and the interests of the people should be voiced from this podium," she noted.
Speaker Mamataliyev again emphasized that at previous meetings with the leaders of deputy groups, it was decided to raise only issues important to society.
He added that the right to a 10-minute speech should only be granted to group leaders or their deputies, and urged to coordinate speech topics in advance. "Dear leaders, clarify what issues will be raised," he suggested.
The speaker also reminded that Deputy Kokulov is currently not a member of any group, but according to the regulations, he has the right to speak. "He requested the floor, and you supported it. However, in the future, it is necessary to establish order," Mamataliyev concluded.
Kokulov again addressed his colleagues, urging them not to distort his words.
"A deputy not only develops laws but also monitors their implementation. You say that I am defending myself. In fact, I am speaking about violations of the law and calling for adherence to legality," he emphasized.
The record "Deputies criticized their colleague Kokulov. He complained about the 'journalistic mafia'" first appeared on K-News.
