Transcripts
Statement of U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan Richard E. Hoagland in Kazakh Humanitarian and Law University
March 16, 2009
Astana, Kazakhstan
Also placed in Express K newspaper
On March 17, 2009
DEMOCRACY
I would like to say a few words about democracy. Specifically, I’d like to say what it is and what it is not.
The root of the English word democracy is an ancient Greek word, demos, which means people – and it means all people, not just an individual class, not just the ruling elite, not just the powerful, not just the rich.
In most simple terms, democracy is the voice of the people. It means that all citizens of a nation, of any nation, have a voice in how they are governed. It’s not the voice of the mob. It’s not tyranny by a minority. It’s not limited to a certain class.
Democracy is, rather, a system of consultation, cooperation, collaboration, and compromise among all citizens. It is individual citizens working together to take responsibility for their own well-being, and for the well-being of the nation. It is the farmer, school teachers and parents, the doctor, the business man and business woman, the local bureaucrat, and the most senior officials all listening to each other with respect and finding the fair compromise that best suits the majority. Democracy is the ultimate expression of peace and concord in a society.
In my diplomatic career in Central Asia, before I came to Kazakhstan, I have had some senior government officials tell me, “You have to understand we are Asian, and we have a different mind-set. Your democracy is impossible for us. We have to respect our history, our tradition, and our customs.”
My respectful reply has always been that democracy is not a rigid ideology that can be imposed on a nation and a people. And, God forbid, anyone should ever think it can be imposed by force. Democracy always develops organically, and it always respects the history, tradition, and customs of the people.
I like to point out that democracy is indeed possible in Asia. We need only to look at examples like Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, and India, among others. All are successful, functioning democracies. And each one of these Asian democracies is an organic expression of its people’s history, tradition, and customs.
Sometimes people misunderstand and say that the U.S. view of democracy means Washington both openly and secretly supports opposition parties and personalities to overthrow existing governments. In the most extreme propaganda from some sources, some say that the United States organizes so-called Color Revolutions against existing governments. But that simply is not true. It’s not true now, and it has not ever been true in the past. So-called Color Revolutions happened when corrupt governments manipulated election results to deny the voice of the people.
Yes, we pay attention to and stay in contact with so-called opposition politicians. That is simply the job of a diplomat. But in the end, for opposition leaders to be successful, they and their parties must build their own constituencies and develop their own political platforms of policies that will appeal to citizens and will be of benefit to the majority. If they cannot do that, they will not succeed – and no amount of U.S. open or secret support can ever guarantee their success, because democracy is the voice of the people.
Does the United States continue to support democracy and democratic individuals and their democratic movements? Bezuslovno, da! Imeno po-tomy shto eto nash ideal! But it is extremely important to distinguish between ideal and ideology. We firmly support our ideals, but we do not conspire to impose our ideology. At the same time, I assure you I will always speak out against unnecessary and egregious actions against individuals and against their political movements – when the facts are clear.
Sometimes, people in Kazakhstan ask if I think Kazakhstan is a democracy. That’s a most difficult question to answer – because democracy is a process. At the most fundamental level, when I observe and evaluate democracy in Kazakhstan, I want to do so from a perspective that is based on objective reality.
Is Kazakhstan a fully mature democracy with all the institutions of democracy firmly in place? Well, probably not yet. But is it on a democratic path? Yes, I really do think so.
Why can I say that? Because I am impressed by local citizens who work together to ask their akims to ensure that their apartments have heat and hot water, or to ensure that they receive apartments they have already paid for in advance. I am impressed by those who challenge the high-handedness of government officials who do not work to support the rights of the people. Citizens working together with their government to solve their common problems is democracy in action.
I can say that Kazakhstan is on a democratic path because I am impressed by private-citizen social movements, independent non-governmental organizations, and government-approved organizations that include a broad range of public opinion where citizens generally can debate openly and express their views freely without fear of being dragged off to jail. That, too, is democracy in action.
I can say that Kazakhstan is on a democratic path when I see the Prime Minister encourage citizen dialog with the government on his Internet blog, and when he encourages other ministers to open blogs for the public. I know some cynics dismiss this as clever PR, public relations. But I think this, too, is democracy in action.
If I could respectfully make one suggestion, I would say the next steps would be for Kazakhstan to create the institutions that guarantee the long-term success of any democratic nation. One of these institutions, for example, would be truly independent election commissions that guarantee full participation by all parties, NGOs, and social movements. The other side of this coin, of course, is that these parties, NGOs, and social movements must participate in this process responsibly. That, in fact, is another hallmark of democracy – that citizens play a responsible role: not to a party, not to the government, but to the nation.
Another goal should be to move toward a transparent and fully independent judicial system that guarantees the rule of law. In my country, the independent judiciary is essential to the rule of law. When our politicians and bureaucrats violate the law, sooner or later our legal system usually will catch up with them, and neither the government nor their political parties can protect them from the consequences. In our history, we have had mayors, governors, congressmen (members of parliament) and presidential advisers serve time in prison for violating the law. In a mature democracy, no one is above the law.
As the personal representative of the President of the United States, my highest responsibility is to work with the Government of Kazakhstan on all issues in which we have mutual national interests. Certainly, democracy is one of them. But it is only one issue. My responsibility as the Ambassador of the United States is to keep all issues in balance. I hope that I do so, at the same time that I never forget my nation’s democratic ideals.
