Hundreds of melodies and lyrics submitted in a public contest have been heard and judged in auditions, but the Kyrgyz Republic has after more than a year of trying still failed to find a worthy entry that could replace the national anthem.

The speaker of parliament has complained that the present anthem, an arrangement suitable for marching, “scares the birds”, while President Sadyr Japarov, the populist-nationalist leader of the country who gave the order for it to be replaced, has griped that it is time to stop singing about the country becoming free – in his view, as reported by Azattyk Asia, an anthem on the dawning of freedom was relevant after Kyrgyzstan more than three decades ago gained independence following the collapse of the USSR, but the main musical motif should now, as Japarov put it, reflect Kyrgyzstan's 5,000-year history and inspire all the generations.

On January 27, the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Legislation, State Structure and Local Self-Government listened to three entries that advanced to the second round of the prolonged contest to create the new anthem. Versions with music were performed. All three shortlisted submissions were rejected.

Japarov has at least so far succeeded with a redesign of the national flag — the sun's wavy rays were made straight.

"Our goal isn't just to change the anthem, but to ensure that in the future, Kyrgyzstanis from the age of seven, from first grade to age 70, know and sing the anthem. All the anthems submitted are written as marches, and not everyone will be able to sing them," Nurlanbek Turgunbek uulu, the Speaker of Parliament, was reported as saying by Azattyk. "The anthem must be as free as the land of Kyrgyzstan. We must move away from the march that was written during the Soviet era. The anthem must be sung not only at official events, but even at celebrations," he added.

Medet Osmonov, chief conductor of the Manas Presidential Chamber Orchestra, was quoted as saying that the contest should be scrapped, with the new anthem to be written by specially commissioned professional composers.

Whatever course of action they decide on, lawmakers risk a growing wave of derision if they don’t get a move on with the task in hand.

In a country where food inflation is a smidgin from double digits, not everyone is convinced the government should be spending time on altering symbols of statehood.

"Yesterday I went to the market, looked at the price tags, and thought, 'Somehow our anthem isn't quite right...'" wrote user mirdan_ak on Threads.

"We have a tonne of problems in our country. But of course, the most pressing issue is urgently changing the national anthem :-)," posted another user, jaratmanjigit.