- Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov skips flag-raising event in Bishkek
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan:Kyrgyzstan has introduced a new national flag, which features a stylized sun with 40 rays and a snow leopard in the center. The new flag, which was designed by a group of artists and approved by the parliament in December 2023, is meant to symbolize the unity and strength of the nation.
However, the flag ceremony, which took place on the central Ala-Too square in Bishkek on January 1, 2024, was marred by controversy and criticism. The President, Sadyr Japarov, did not attend the event, nor did the representatives of independent media. The Secretary of State, Suyunbek Kasmambetov, said that the president’s absence was due to the fact that the new flag did not have any fundamental changes, only minor technical ones.
The public, however, was quick to notice a major technical error: the new flag that was hoisted over the square had only 39 rays instead of 40, which represent the 40 tribes of Kyrgyzstan. The mistake sparked outrage and mockery on social media, with many questioning the quality and accuracy of the new flag.
Direbek Oron Bekov, the head of the Bishkek City Hall and Information Policy Service, admitted that the flag had 40 rays, but did not explain how the error occurred. He said that the flag was removed and possibly replaced with the correct version after several days.
The president, who signed the law on the new flag on December 20, 2023, along with the speaker of parliament, Nurlanbek Shakiev, and deputy, Ulan Primov, had previously said that changing the flag would not entail any expenses from the republican budget. He also said that the shape of the rays on the flag was changed from wavy to straight to make it easier to produce and reproduce.
