You have put the coat, sheath and knife into the museum, havenīt you?
Itīs a bit early to have them there. All of the things I wore for my
Presidential inauguration , I keep in my study for use when needed.
Did you ever dream of becoming President of a republic?
No, I did not. I allways wanted to be a militery mav. In a way it was
predetermined by my name. ("Sherig" in Tuvan means "military") This did not come
true. Even though I served in the army with Rocket Forces and now am a reserve
officer.
Who, besides your parents, have greatly influenced your life?
There are many. The first I can remember is Galina Ivanovna Petrova, our
class tutor. I had the reputation to be a desobedient and cocky pupil. The
majority of teachers disliked my independent behaviour and would have rather
dealt with shy and more dutiful children. Very soon my situation worsened with
practically all the teachers. If it had not been Galina Ivanovna, a young
teacher, fresh out of the Institute the situation could have taken a really bad
turn. She believed in me and took me into class she supervised. I finished
school well.
Where is she now?
She still works in Kyzyl. We meet from time to time, but unfortunately not so
often as we would like.
What was your favourite school subject?
Mathematics.
Where and when did you meet your wife?
We met in Moscow studying together at the Agricultural Academy. I entered the
academy after my Army service; she immediately after school.
So, Moscow is a somewhat special and significant city for you.
It really is. We were married in Moscow and our first baby was born there. As
students we could not afford many things, and I worked both as a street cleaner
and as a railway car unloader. I remember this time with warm feelings in spite
of all the difficulties.
Mikhail and Raisa Gorbachiov, Bill and Hillary Clinton... Can we draw the
parallel in regard to you and your wife as a presidential couple?
Iīve got what you are hinting at, but I think itīs not the case. My wife Sara
Mongushevna is of a "behind the scenes" kind of person; she works hard with our
large family and it is she who makes our family strong and holds things
together. She does her best to save me from everyday problems which are no less
than a ordinary family has. Take my word for it, she covers my back, and I`m
grateful to her for it. She takes my problems as her own, but never interferes
in my work. She is the modest. I will never allow a relative to give me
recommendations for various appointments. I, as a husband, son and brother,
maintain friendly terms with my kinsfolk in family relations, but as the
President , when it comes to work, I have to keep them at a certain distance in
order to be objective and independent.
In the political sphere much depends on the leaderīs surrounding. Do you have
your own team? Who are in it? and how much can they influence your
actions?
The work of the president without a team, no matter how smart the leader is,
would bring poor results. I am realistically-minded and considering that the
republic is not large and that there is a certain shortage of good specialists,
I, for one, have never started working in a new position as a chief by firing
people who had been working there before I came. My experience shows - one can
always find common lanquage and grond with the prevailing majority of smart
workers and specialists independently of ideology and party to which they may
belong. Itīs a stupid and cruel thing to human relations to fire a professional
only for the fact that his religion is islam and he does not eat pork. My main
principle in selection of personnel is succession. Certainly it works only in
relation to professionals.
My observation is - you still donīt trust people who work for you. I cannot
find any other explanation to your frequent visits to the most remote places of
the country and your effort to contact directly with ordinary people.
There is a golden rule "Trust but control". Iīm put in the know of the
situation in different places of the republic, but I prefer to have fresh direct
information from people. Specially at present with all this confusion and mess
which we have. I need to see with my own eyes , where we have suceeded., what
has been realized, and what resolutions remain blocked paper. Anoher reason why
I like these meetings with with people is that itīs the kind of air I can
breathe in. Myself, I came from the lowest level of lifeīs hierarchy. First I
worked as a carpenter and a concrete worker and Iīve never broken links with
simple people. Rumours has it , that "the only thing Oorzak does is to visit
chabans (tuvan shepherds) and drink tea" I hope these rumors stay on the
consciences of those who spread them.
What kind of Tuva would you like to build: socialist, capitalist...?
We are building a state without "...isms". It would be a democratic, legal
state based on a market economy; a subject of the russian Federation with the
same equal rights as others and open to the world. Our people have had enough of
those "...isms": total egalitarianism of collectivism, myths of developed
socialism, fairy tales about communistic paradise. Done with it!
Weīve touched upon myths. I have one in mind. Let me ask you a rather
unpleasant question. Can the idea of Tuvan state sovereignity be realized in the
visible future?
We need, first of all, economic independence, and the budget of the republic
is still 90% dependent on federal subsidies. Tuva is a republic with huge
potential. The trouble began with the conditions of the distorted economy of the
Ex-Empire. There were no sense and need to develop that potential for our
benefit as the colonies had always served the Empire as the supplier of raw
materials for the indrustially developed centre. Just look what progress
ex-colonies: Taipei, Singapore, Hongkong, have made as soon as they had their
hands free. I donīt like such a straight analogies and you will be the first to
remind me of the preferable geographic locations these Asian "tigers" occupy.
Even more, they have always lived in market conditions. Right. But we have
something that the mentioned SIngapore people can only be dreaming of.
Economists and analysts of many high-developed countries, independently of each
other, came to the same paradoxal conclusion: the 21st century will be the
century of coal! Why so? Itīs because the world oil reserves are coming to end.
The earth entrails in Tuva have one of the biggest reserves in the world of
coking coal of very high quality, out of which you can produce practically
everything - from margarine to gasoline of the best standards. 20 billions of
tons is the amount of the prospected coal-field in Tuva. And where else on the
earth can you find a place where the ore with the striking concentration of
bismuth lies open in rocks on the surface? Copper, mercury, other rare elements
- the whole Mendeleevīs tabel is represented in Tuva. And our nature? According
to the UNESCO estimation; potentially Tuva is 45 times more attractive to
tourists than Switzerland.
What are, in your opinion, the principle traits of the Tuvan national
character?
Modesty, slow pace decision making and estimation taking and mutual
assistance. This mutual help has caused our people to live through many years
wars, conflicts, hardships and difficulties. 47 years of actuallyl imposed
Europeanization made the Tuvan national character somewhat dissolved. I hope
that we will stop this process.
Of late, we have taken up a bad habit - to pour dirty water on the retired
politicians and statesmen. What about you? Are you afraid of this? Even an ideal
leader could have made mistakes.
This phenomenon can be easily explained and is historically objective. Itīs a
sign of our extremely low political culture, which manifests itself in
above-mentioned attitude towards ex- state leaders. We detested the ones
appointed by the Political Bureau and although the way to power has changed
diametrically - Yeltsin was elected by the whole nation - the attitude to them
has remained the same. People donīt understand one thing: showing no respect for
the rulers you elect shows that you donīt respect yourself. However , Iīm ready
to accept the fact that some people will speak negatively of me. There is one
consolation . History is not written by wicked tonques. The time will be the
referential judge. History will put everyone into his proper place and will show
who has lived for the benefit of the people. Iīm not afraid of this
judgement.
by Tuva Magazine
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