«The khokim has no patience to read the decree»: The President sets strict demands for officials (video)

During one of the meetings chaired by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the working style, irresponsibility, and failure to utilize given powers by local government bodies—particularly district and city khokims—were severely criticized. During an open and lively dialogue with one of the district khokims in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, the head of state clearly exposed a painful problem that has taken root among officials.

When the President asked, «What authority did I give you to speak?» and the district khokim stated that all powers had been granted by the latest decree and that he had only just familiarized himself with the document, the head of state interrupted him and told him the bitter truth: «Don't take offense, I want to say this to everyone using your example: the khokim has no patience to read the decision! The most agonizing thing is this — I sit and painfully sign it, but it doesn't sink in». Recalling his own years as a khokim, the head of state emphasized that the culture of working with documents and analyzing final outcomes has been lost, and strictly warned that there would be a serious purge by the end of the year.

So, why are the decrees of the head of state not fully understood by lower-level officials on the ground, how does the habit of working without delving into the essence of decisions lead regions into a dead end, and which khokims might part ways with their seats by the end of the year?

«Closing the door for two hours, I used to read with a pen in hand»: The President’s lesson to khokims

The most painful points and programmatic thoughts emphasized by the head of state during the dialogue:

• Authority exists, but there is no patience to read: Local officials have been granted all legal powers to implement reforms, yet they lack the patience to thoroughly read and review the adopted laws and decisions;

• The vice of formal signing: The practice of blindly signing documents without understanding their true essence and purpose causes reforms to stall at the lower tier;

• Personal experience and responsibility: Recalling his khokim activities, Shavkat Mirziyoyev cited as an example how, before issuing a decision, he would close the office door and independently study each clause for two hours with a pen in hand;

• Responsibility for the final result: The purpose of every document is to foresee the final benefit and outcome that will reach the people;

• Strict ultimatum at the end of the year: The President sharply stated that he will completely stop working after the end of the year with officials who do not understand the essence of his decrees and resolutions and cannot apply them in practice.

Management problem in local khokimiyats: Comparison of situations

A comparison of the management system demanded by the President and the current working style of certain khokims:

Governance and political analysis: Experts on personnel responsibility

Main conclusions of public administration and legal field analysts:

• Loss of the «working with a pen» culture: Many lower-tier officials have become accustomed to ready-made briefs, which has stifled their ability to think strategically and assess the consequences of decisions;

• Resistance to reforms from below: Important decrees issued from above lose momentum when they reach the district and mahalla levels precisely due to the misunderstanding and irresponsibility of officials;

• Sufficiency of powers: Khokims have been granted unprecedented independence and financial freedom, and the problem now comes down solely to the potential and competence of personnel;

• Major changes at the end of the year: The President's open warning shows that the departure from office of dozens of district and city khokims who failed to fully comprehend their duties is inevitable by the end of the year.

These bitter words spoken by the head of state to the district khokim served as a serious wake-up call, urging the entire state administration apparatus to reconsider its activities.

Is the khokim in your district or city able to deeply understand the laws and decisions being issued and solve the people's problems? In your opinion, to what extent does the failure of khokims to read decisions hinder regional development? Leave your personal thoughts in the comments and share this analysis of the sharp statement in public administration with all your acquaintances and social media friends!