Kyrgyz lawmakers on November 29 approved the first reading of a bill amending Kyrgyzstan's national flag amid controversy. The bill, proposed in October, says that the slightly wavy rays of a yellow sun on a red field on the current flag give and impression of a sunflower. The Kyrgyz word for sunflower is "kunkarama," but it also has a second meaning: "dependent." The bill would allow the "straightening" of the sunrays to make it look more like a sun, the lawmakers said, adding that the current image on the flag conjures up thoughts of the Central Asian country's dependence on foreign loans and investment. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, click here.