Page 78 - bne Magazine February 2023

78 I Eurasia bne February 2023
and competence,” said Julian Dierkes,
a Canadian professor of public policy and a frequent visitor to the city. “It’s less clear that this is earning him much public approval.”
As Dierkes indicates, many have expressed doubt that Sumiyabazar’s public improvement projects have amounted to money well spent. Social media critics have lashed out at some of the efforts, forcing the mayor to pull the plug on at least one of them, a plan to improve the flow of the Selbe River through the city.
Many locals want the city to focus on improving infrastructure beyond down- town. The city’s shambolic outskirts, known locally as ger (or yurt) districts, are still in a dire state.
Most of these areas lack many basic utilities such as central heat and running water. Paved roads, public schools, emer- gency services and other features of urban fabric are also lacking or absent. Families heat their homes with coal briquettes which pollutes areas around the city.
Sumiyabazar, a member of the ruling Mongolian People’s Party (MPP), appears to favour a policy of replacing the ger districts with apartment complexes, giving residents an option to swap their land for a condominium.
The mayor announced earlier this year that 30bn tugrik ($8.8mn) would be
set aside in the capital city budget to improve infrastructure in ger districts. It’s far short of what is needed to overhaul these areas but Mongolia’s budget has been constrained by a drop in foreign investment and global economic headwinds that have sent inflation soaring.
In order to pay for improvements Sumi- yabazar has tried opening doors to new businesses, promoting the free market economy, and loosening restrictions. Last year he lifted most restrictions on closing times, allowing business owners to work through the night.
"There should be nightlife and business in Ulaanbaatar," he said in a release. "If you have a dedicated building for your service and trade you can not only open bars and discos but also restaurants, coffeeshops and grocery stores until 5:00 am., increasing your income and expanding your business."
"We aim to create city streets that promote Mongolian customs, culture, national cuisine, and livelihoods to support citizens and businesses and to actively implement policies in Ulaanbaatar to support tourism and development."
Despite the visual enhancements in Ulaanbaatar, Sumiyabazar still faces public opinion challenges. He gets credit for improving the atmosphere downtown. But he also gets panned by
netizens looking for officials to blame for the city’s traffic woes.
Others are just wary of Ulaanbaatar politicians, given the city’s history of corruption and land grabs committed under previous administrations. Escap- ing clouds of controversy is not easy
in a country where the public assumes most politicians are running shady side hustles, made all the more apparent by recent headlines of a “coal mafia” profit- ing off the country’s mining industry.
“I am very sceptical that the Sumiyabazar team can change Ulaanbaatar into a better place,” said Sumati Luvsandendev, head of the Sant Maral Foundation, a public polling organisation. “All consecu- tive city governments have a reputation for high level corruption, mismanage- ment, and low professionalism.”
In order to succeed he’ll need to stay above the finger-pointing and allegations that threaten to topple other senior lead- ers in power. But Sumiyabazar is not one to compete in a popularity contest. He grew up resolving issues less with charm and more with brute strength.
Personality may not be Sumiyabazar’s strong suit. But fixing the city’s multi- tude of problems will require a different sort of effort, a full-throttle approach that might be well suited to a person who rose to power through a sport that requires not just strength, but consider- able strategy too.
Kazakhstan: One year on from Bloody January, officials stick to their story
Almaz Kumenov for Eurasianet
On the first anniversary of the bloody unrest that brought death and destruction to Kazakhstan’s largest city, the general prosecutor addressed lawmakers and delivered what looks like the state’s definitive verdict on what occurred. Many questions linger, however.
www.bne.eu
Berik Asylov told parliament on
January 5 about what investigators have described as a coup attempt executed by organised criminal groups and plotted by a man once considered an ultra- loyalist of the ruling regime. He spoke too about the excesses of the police, dozens of whom reacted to the strife
by torturing people scooped up, often arbitrarily, amid the chaos.
On the same day, President Kassym- Jomart Tokayev paid his own tribute to the 238 people killed over four days of what has come to be known in Kazakh as Qandy Qantar, or Bloody