On September 7 the head of the Kazakhstan government Nurlan Balgimbaev met in Astana the chief of �Gasprom� Rem Vyahirev. During the meeting the joint Kazakhstan-Russian projects on production and transportation of gas were discussed. In particular, the project of provision of northern regions of Kazakhstan with gas from the bordering Russian regions according to �a substitution� principle was discussed.
On the same day the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan awarded Rem Vyahirev, the President of the JSC �Gasprom� with a high Kazakhstan decoration, �Parasat� order, for his contribution to the development of the gas and oil industry.
On September 9 in Astana the President of RK Nursultan Nazarbaev handed credentials to the Great Britain and Northern Ireland ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the Republic of Kazakhstan Richard Jorge Luington.
(THE GLOBE, Astana)
ASTANA, Sept 7
(THE GLOBE)
The bill �portfolio� of this year was analysed at the government�s meeting. This was announced by the press service of the government on September 7 in Astana.
The Minister of Justice Baurzhan Muhamedzhanov said that he had planned to work out and propose 57 bills for consideration by the Parliament. As on September 1, 1999 thirty-four bills have been submitted to the Parliament, including 26 approved bills, 1 rejected bill and 2 ones withdrawn by the government. From the beginning of the year 125 laws were submitted to the President of RK for him to sign.
In Mr. Muhamedzhanov�s opinion, one of the reasons due to which many laws have not been submitted, is a constant delay in their submission by a number of ministries. �It should be mentioned that some ministries are still submitting bills prepared groundless from the legal point of view, that leads to an endless revision and it takes more time to consider the bills,� he said. The Minister offered to prepare the full list of the urgent and priority laws, to abandon the narrow-departmental approach to their preparation, to work out an accurate procedure of the consideration by the Parliament and to attract more actively deputies to working out of laws.
ALMATY, Sept 9
(THE GLOBE)
The Kazakhstan mass media published the information that Kalykh Abdullaev, the ex-Akim of the Southern Kazakhstan region was escaping to California, where his children live.
However, the Shymkent newspaper �ChP� refuted this information. The editor of �ChP� got in touch with Mr. Abdullaev and found out that he was being treated at one of the Almaty clinics, as his stomach ulcer exacerbated.
According to the source of THE GLOBE, who saw the ex-Akim on August 28, the latter had serious problems with his health.
In the end of July the President of Kazakhstan Nazarbaev dismissed Kalykh Abdullaev due to the worsening social-economic situation in southern Kazakhstan. The President emphasised that Mr. Abdullaev had not fulfilled his work properly at any place.
In this regard it is interesting to remind that Kalykh Abdullaev was the chairman of the State Committee on the Economy of RK in that period when Tengiz deposit was sold to the American company �Chevron�. In some time he was dismissed from that post.
When the transaction on Tengiz was conducted, ways of Abdullaev and Nurlan Balgimbaev crossed.
It is noteworthy that after Mr. Balgimbaev was appointed the Prime Minister, Kalykh Abdullaev became the Akim of Southern Kazakhstan region.
The informed source notified THE GLOBE that namely the present Prime Minister had lobbied Abdullaev�s candidature.
It is striking that to journalists� question, whether competent organisations had factor, when Mr. Abdullaev headed the region, and if yes, why the criminal case was laid against him, only when he was dismissed, the representative of the tax police stated that all materials had been collected before the Akim�s dismissal.
Sergei MATYUSHENKO
ATYRAU, Sept 4
(THE GLOBE)
�My dismissal is a decision of the leaders of the country, and this decision is not the subject to discussion,� Nurlan Kapparov announced at the opening ceremony of the filling station of �KazakhOil� on the last Friday in Atyrau.
The former President of the national oil company said that except the official version �for the time being it was difficult for him to talk about the real situation.�
Nurlan Kapparov confirmed his negative positive in respect to the government�s decision regarding the sale of a part of the share in the JV �Tengizchevroil� (TCO).
�The dismissal became the result of my attitude towards this,� the former head of �KazakhOil� stated.
According to him, every oil company �will be happy� to purchase any share of TCO. He did not confirmed the information that the oil giant �Mobil� had proposed to buy stocks of this JV (US$ 100 million per 1%). Though, Mr. Kapparov said, 1% of share of TCO is evaluated approximately at this level.
�Proposals to take part in the tender for a share of TCO have been sent to more than 20 big oil companies,� he said.
The cost of the shareholding is continuously increasing, and every three years the cots of stocks of the JV TCO will grow approximately by 100%.
�By 2001, after the Caspian Pipeline is put into exploitation, it is planned to reevaluate the natural reserves and after the construction of the second generation plant is started, the cost of stocks will increase 2times and more,� Mr. Kapparov resumed.
By 2005, when production of oil at TCO achieves 17 million of tons per year, the value of the assets will again double.
The dismissed head of the oil company does not know any project in Kazakhstan, where cost of stocks will grow at such a rate.
�Why should we give practically free of charge the reserves which later we may sell at a significantly higher price. We have to find alternative variants to overcome the budget crisis observed in Kazakhstan,� he added.
However, he did not propose any concrete alternative variants to �cover holes� in the budget.
�You should ask the Finance Ministry this question,� Mr. Kapparov re-addressed the question.
In the nearest future Nurlan Balgimbaev plans to take a holiday, as he did not rest for 4 years.
Erkanat ABENI
ALMATY, Sept 9 (THE GLOBE)
�We are at the threshold of a military invasion to our territory,� the chairman of the Republican Public movement �Orleu� announced on Thursday in Almaty.
In Seidakhmet Kuttykadam�s opinion, the Kazakhstan borders are under threat from three sides: Russia is almost having a civil war, Uzbekistan became a basis for terrorists, and 500 square kilometers of our territory which they have swollen are not enough for China.
�If tomorrow somebody encroaches on our territory, we will be in a significantly worse situation, than both Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan,� Mr. Kuttykadam stated.
Our condition will be worse, because today the Kazakhstan army is undressed, hungry and practically inefficient, while generals are untalented. If the alarm is announced, no tank will move, as there is the army is short of spare parts,� the chairman of �Orleu� added.
�If tomorrow any extremist streams appear, which will be able to pay money to our compatriots if they take a machine-carbine, there will be a lot of people wishing to join them,� Mr. Kuttykadam said. He believes that the population has become poor and is ready for everything to maintain their families.
Meanwhile, the leader of �Orleu� stated, the government formally treats these problems. The authorities are losing their ability to govern, as there is neither governing conception nor radical personnel policy.
According to Seidakhmet Kuttykadam, during the pre-election fight for the sits in the Parliament and Maslikhats, the authorities rigidly press the opposition and are going to falsify the election results once more. Both red and black lists have been prepared. These lists are being given to the regional Akims. �Akims will be instructed not to pass any persons from the black list and assist candidates from the red one. Otherwise they will be dismissed,� the leader of �Orleu� said.
�All these events are an obvious sign of bankruptcy of Nazarbaev�s policy and his government. That is why we demand that the present authorities along with the President voluntarily send in their resignation,� Mr. Kuttykadam.
Beibars BATYRKHANOV
ALMATY, Sept 8 (THE GLOBE)
�The deserting problem is very serious in Kazakhstan, as trees are being actively cut down. That is why especial attention should be paid to planting new trees. To settle this problem the action on creation the graduating students� park which will be held on October 3,� the chairman of the ecological union �Tabigat� announced on Wednesday in Almaty.
Mels Yeleusizov affirmed that at that moment the share of deserted lands in Kazakhstan came to 66%, and there was a trend of growth. People, who are no money to pay for fuel, have nothing to do but to cut down trees in their region.
The idea to establish the park was born 4 years ago. Almaty is a badly blown city, and id all free lands northwards from the city are planted with trees, Mels Yeleusizov believes that this will create a favourable microclimate and will improve the air circulation.
Annually about 13 thousand pupils finish the school in the southern capital. Besides them students of different universities and other colleges may rake part in the event. Participants of this event will further take care of their saplings.
We remind you that Mr. Yeleusizov was nominated to deputies in the Auezov election district, where his main ally will be general Kasymov. Apart from the ecological issues, the program of the candidate includes also political issues. According to Mr. Yeleusizov, �now we are establishing a party of honest people.�
In Mels Yeleusizov�s opinion, the election will be honest if not less than 90% of electors come to vote. In this case there will be no falsifications.
All Over the Globe is published by IPA House.
© 1998 IPA House. All Rights Reserved.