Open Society Foundation [to 30 January 2016]
https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/issues/media-information

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January 28, 2016
The Hashtag That Stymied Corruption in Kyrgyzstan
by Shamil Ibragimov
By making information about public spending visible, watchdogs are shaming away government waste.

In October 2015, Kyrgyzstan’s parliament announced it had ordered 120 new chairs at a cost of 2.6 million soms, or over US$34,000. News of the extravagant purchase price sparked a backlash.

Social media users noted that the extravagant purchase makes them skeptical of promises to reduce spending. A virtual flash mob inundated social media networks with hundreds of photos of their own armchairs and office chairs under the hashtags #mychair and #120armchairs. The public shaming proved effective, and the order was canceled…