Highlights of a speech by the President of Uzbekistan regarding relations between government officials and the media (Tashkent city, 11.22.2019.)

Highlights of a speech by the President of Uzbekistan regarding relations between government officials and the media

(Tashkent city, 11.22.2019.)

In these latter days, the media has raised many questions. This is also a requirement of today, if we do not pay special attention to these issues together with the media, there will be no result. No one has the right to work today as yesterday.

As you all know, today openness and transparency are ensured in all spheres of society. Closeness, opacity, corruption, nepotism will not help work. This is temporary. Knowing to pretend you don’t know is a betrayal of today's politics!

The world is developing rapidly, and the worldview of our people is changing. The media play a big role in this. They draw our attention to pressing problems and help solve them. This is one of the basic requirements of a democratic society.

And let's not forget that we should consider the press as a mirror reflecting our work. Unfortunately, over the years we did not consider it important to look in this mirror.

As a result, we stopped seeing our true appearance. We did not recognize our flaws and shortcomings, which were obvious to our people, and continued to boast, saying about ourselves: "I am the best." Many khokims of cities and regions want to continue this. As you can see, we are dismissing many of them from their positions. If they do not satisfy the people, if their feet are off the ground, you know, we will be forced to fire everyone. This is a demand of time. As a leader, I am ready to take measures, no matter how difficult it is. Because we must satisfy our people. Meet people directly. Directly accept people.

Imagine, I was also the khokim of the region, for many years, the prime minister. Could we take [such measures]? Did we do it? There has never been such a system. But now there must be quality, once again quality, culture, culture, knowledge, deep knowledge, dialogue, a system when communicating with our people. We are not those people who were two years ago. We are no longer yesterday's leaders.

We forgot a wise proverb: "There is nothing to blame if the face is crooked." It is based on deep thought. If there is no culture, knowledge, why blame the mirror, if you are crooked.

It's no secret that this has become one of the main reasons that problems have accumulated, and many of the vices of society have taken root.

You all well understand why I say this. Today, for leaders at all levels, the culture of communication with the public, especially with the media, has become more important than ever.

In some cases, leaders' inability to respond to criticism is manifested in their attempts to not recognize it.

Unfortunately, some leaders when communicating with people and the press forget the simple culture of communication, spirituality. The fact that they do not give timely and honest answers to the appeals received from them also causes reasonable discontent.

All sitting here, the leaders of the four sectors in the context of districts, cities, regions write it down. All your efforts with your words alone become a betrayal of politics. You need to learn to think, measure seven times before cutting. This is a demand of time. We are now moving into a democratic society, civil society. Everyone should know this.

As you yourself are witnesses, almost every day loud messages appear on social networks about the activities of a particular leader. Due to the fact that critical, timely, objective, substantiated reactions are not given to critical materials, different speculations and disputes appear among people.

The most unpleasant thing is that individual leaders, instead of preventing situations that may cause controversy among the public, exacerbate the problem with their arrogance and pomp.

I understand that everyone has their own pride and self-esteem. But the difference of the leader is precisely in that he must not forget about responsibility not only for his honor, but also for the image of the state body.

With whatever obstacle and difficulty, no matter what acute and urgent problem he may face, he must find a way out of the situation with restraint and balance, having made the right decision based only on the law.

If every leader, feeling his responsibility first of all to his conscience, to the people who trusted him, if he can combine perseverance and restraint, exactingness and erudition in his activity, he will be able to win true love and trust of the people.

Regardless of whether he is a member of the government, minister, khokim or prosecutor, this requirement applies to all of us, as well as to the media. None of us have the right to forget about it.