Goodbye America
American soldiers have learned the national anthem of Kyrgyzstan and even performed it during special occasions in course of 7 years of airbase presence in the country...
 |
Archives |
|
On Friday, December 1st, the most eagerly anticipated political event of the year – the summit of the OSCE – opened in Astana's Palace of Independence. Unfortunately, the president's administration did not manage to gather together all fifty five heads of states, as was previously planned. Only twenty eight arrived to the forum, held for the first time in 11 years. The G-20 was represented only by Germany, Italy, and Russia. The planned tranquility was subverted right from the start. Transnistria expressed its offence at the decision of Moldova's Acting President not to take part in the Summit. Azerbaijani President accused Armenia in his lack of interest to settle the Karabakh conflict peacefully. The head of Uzbek Foreign Affairs Ministry claimed the OSCE failed to do anything about the massacre in Osh. All of this was topped when the time came to discuss the Georgian-Ossetian conflict. At the same time, while welcoming guests, Nursultan Nazarbayev ambitiously said the OSCE gradually reaches a new, broader level of security cooperation.
Uzbekistan also criticized OSCE and its Chair. Foreign Affairs Minister Vladimir Norov said the organization did nothing at all to prevent inter-ethnic clashes in Kyrgyzstan this summer. The US State Secretary, meanwhile, focused her attention on the general issues of democracy. She said there is no need to accept principles; however, commitments should be followed. Russia believes the OSCE is losing its capacity as a political institution, and requires some changes...
|
|
The OSCE Summit is running in a set mode, with the media carefully divided into locals and guests. The latter, following the tradition of eastern hospitality, are given all the best, like the ability to ask questions. But even this cannot save the organizers of the summit. The questions that Kazakh journalists were unable to ask the Foreign Affairs Ministry are asked by foreign reporters. After all, the WikiLeaks scandal is the second most discussed news following the event in Astana, thus questions about it were unavoidable. The U.S. Secretary of State, made even vaguer statements, although, not saying anything categorical. She did, however, noted, no expressions of concern from partners were sent to her personally, and thus the work of U.S. diplomats will continue. At the same time, in her opening speech, Clinton hinted at the cost of the US participation in the summit.
Janez Lenarcic, the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights attempted to avoid several essentially the same questions over the frequent violation of human rights by Kazakhstan - the OSCE Chair... |
|
|
|
|
The Tax Committee claims Vladimir Kozlov evaded taxes for 23 thousand dollars. The oppositionist's problems with fiscals started immediately after he declared himself a presidential candidate. Supposedly, the property bought by Kozlov for the party costs much more than he actually possessed. The leader of Alga filed a lawsuit against the unjust actions of the Tax Committee. The money found by the fiscals belongs to his business partner – the president of a public fund Muratbek Ketebayev, which was proven with appropriate documents... |
|
|
|
|
Starting November 1 and until the end of the year a sixth part of the 26-thousand-people army of Kazakh state servants will lose their jobs. Supposedly, this will allow the budget to save up to 130 million dollars of state money annually. The cutbacks will not affect traffic policemen, as only clerks will be sacked. The head of the traffic police department Kayrat Tynybekov believes that the layoff of policemen will lead to chaos on the county's highways... |
|
|
|
|
Pensioner from Astana Ibragim Kozybayev organized a protest action in front of the Presidential Palace, holding a poster saying “Death Sentence by Age”. He says that the authorities of the country have sentenced him to a miserable survival. The pension of 100 dollars is enough only to pay for public utilities and bread. As a result Kozybev now suffers from tuberculosis. To prove it was caused by the actions of officials, he attached a certificate from the tuberculosis clinic to his poster... |
|
|
|
|
Extreme measures for public utilities. For already five years the Southern Kazakhstan village of Bozaryk is not supplied with water and electricity. By now, almost three thousand people got used to manage without refrigerators and lamps. Bozaryk villagers are forced to purchase water brought in tanks from the neighboring village. Kurmanbay Mustafayev says that the water brought can be used only for the cattle and irrigation, while his family has to use this water as well... |
|
|
|
|
Members of the Assembly of Peoples of Kazakhstan reacted to the proposal to constitutionally ratify Nursultan Nazarbayev's status of the Leader of the Nation with an extended ovation. The initiative was read by Anatoliy Bashmakov, who also cited all achievements of the head of state. The speaker was repeatedly interrupted by the universal jubilation, and only the president seemed indifferent to the process, although temporary. The president's refusal did not change Anataliy Bashmakov's determination. He will insist on the constitutional changes, as it supposedly reflects the will of the people. With the same modesty Nazarbayev asked not to sign a bill on the Leader of the Nation a half a year ago. Still, appropriate amendments to laws were hastily approved and unanimously accepted by the parliament even without the consent of the president. He never signed them, but did not decline them either, which was a first in the history of the country's legislation. The law itself was signed for some reason by the speakers of both parliamentary chambers, as well as the prime minister. The new initiative invokes the feeling of déjà-vu. The ruling elite welcome the idea, but also wholeheartedly endorse the refusal of the leader of the nation.
This is already the second attempt to make the status of the Nation's Leader even truer, supposedly to even further reinforce its legal form... |
|
|
|
|
The news from the parliament made Zhanna Baytelova, a reporter of the newspaper “Golos Respubliki,” write a new article, and also recall her 10-days administrative arrest. The journalist appealed to courts with the demand to recognize as illegitimate the decision of the governmental trio of Mukhamedzhanov, Tokayev and Masimov to grant president Nazarbayev the title of the leader of the nation. The courts refused to examine her petition, and in response Baytelova threw manure at the porch of the court building. Now the journalist claims it might be time for new protest actions. Members of the unregistered political party Alga are continuously impressed by the MPs’ creativity and their political loyalty. Michail Sizov counted that courts have rejected over a hundred actions from Kazakh citizens against the Leader of the Nation amendments.
The status of the leader of the nation was already legitimized in a number of separate articles of the constitution, says an analyst of the political decisions institute Maksim Kaznacheyev. In this sense Senator Bashmakov is a bit late with his initiative. On the other hand, the expert notes, that the constitutional recognition of the status will allow Nazarbayev to create new political institutions, namely the national council on internal and external affairs... |
|
|
|
|
Students if Kazakh Agrarian University greeted the Education Minister Bakytzhan Zhumagulov after waiting for him in the cold outside for about an hour. The official is here to celebrate the university's anniversary, but not to answer uncomfortable questions. This is the minister's first public appearance in Almaty, after the president replaced the last head of the education department Zhanseit Tuymenbayev exactly a month ago. The previous minister didn't like unscheduled encounters with the press either... |
|
|
|
|
The spontaneous protest action was launched by Shymkent residents in hopes of drawing attention of the authorities. For already two months 200 employees of “Prime Petroleum” are not receiving their salaries. The debt of the company is estimated at 40 thousand dollars. It was revealed that apart from wage debts the situation with Prime Petroleum could also affect the work of ambulances, emergency gas agency, and several other municipal services of Shymkent... |
|
|
|
|
She died suddenly and unexpectedly. It seems just yesterday Aygul Zhetimkarinova headed the intensive therapy unit which treated the former Health Minister Doskaliyev. Now her colleagues talk about the causes of her death – a big tumor of the liver. Friends and family were shocked about the sudden passing of the doctor. After all, the top professional with 25 years of experiences behind her, never noticed any symptoms of the serious illness... |
|
|
| Watch Selection |
 |
|
|
|
|
Society |
|
Digest-Info |
|
Stan-art |
|
|
