Kyrgyzstan Politicians Shamed by Social Media
| Publisher | Institute for War and Peace Reporting |
| Author | Aytunuk Nurdinova |
| Publication Date | 9 November 2015 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | RCA Issue 775 |
| Cite as | Institute for War and Peace Reporting, Kyrgyzstan Politicians Shamed by Social Media, 9 November 2015, RCA Issue 775, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/564c3df84.html [accessed 31 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Twitter and Facebook campaigns force legislators to back down on plans for more comfortable seats.
A campaign to stop Kyrgyzstan's parliament spending much-needed money on fancy new seating highlighted the growing power of social media.
Soon after the October 4 parliamentary election, it emerged that legislators wanted to refit the chamber with leather seats. The public outcry about what was seen as unnecessary extravagance forced the authorities to withdraw a tender for the refurbishment work.
Online campaigning on Facebook and Twitter was seen as a key tool in shaming politicians into reversing the decision. Hundreds of people photos of their own under the hashtags #mychair and #120chairs.
The newly-elected members of parliament were forced to respond, and several announced that they neither needed nor wanted the new seating.
Aytunuk Nurdinova is an IWPR contributor in Kyrgyzstan.
