FORMER VICE PREMIER BALTASH TURSYNBAYEV TO TAKE PART IN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS AS A CANDIDATE TO MAZHILIS.
Correspondents of RFE/RL report from Almaty that former Vice Premier of Kazakhstan, former Governor of Qostanay region, former Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Turkey Baltash Tursynbayev was elected by the Kazakh Youth Union as a candidate to Mazhilis - lower Chamber of the Kazakh Parliament. Mr. Tursynbayev will take part in the elections as a candidate of Qostanay Regional Electoral Area # 40. Leaders of the Kazakh Youth Union announced about their decision to put forward Mr. Tusrynbayev candidacy to Mazhilis on August 17. The organization recommended to Mazhilis seven more candidates.
NEW POLITICAL PARTY ESTABLISHED IN KAZAKHSTAN.
The new party established in Kazakhstan yesterday, August 17 unites 4 organizations of females. It is called Political Unity of the Kazakh Women�s Organizations. It is not clear if the newly established party will take part in the Parliamentary elections.
POKOLENIYE MOVEMENT AGAINST ITS LEADER�S PARTICIPATION IN THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS AS A CANDIDATE.
According to information provided by correspondents of RFE/RL activists of Pokoleniye movement uniting elderly citizens of Kazakhstan, held session yesterday, August 17. They expressed their concerns about the decision of their leader Irina Savostina to take part in the Parliamentary elections as a candidate. According to members of the Pokoleniye movement, in case if Irina Savostina is elected as deputy of the Kazakh Parliament, their movement will not be able to survive.
NATURAL GAS EXPLOSION IN TARAZ CITY RUINED AN APARTMENT, SEVERELY HURT A PERSON.
Correspondents of RFE/RL report that on Monday, August 16, a natural gas leakage in Taraz City, South Kazakhstan caused a blast which ruined an apartment. One person was hospitalized in a grave condition. His body�s 80 percent was burnt reportedly. Investigations are underway.
KAZAKH MINISTER OF LABOR AND SOCIAL PROTECTION MET PENSIONERS OF ALMATY AND TALGHAR CITIES.
Nataliya Korzhova - Kazakh Minister of Labor and Social Protection met elderly citizens of Talghar and Almaty cities yesterday, August 17. She answered some questions raised by the pensioners of the two cities. But Minister Korzhova failed to answer one question, which was �Do you think it is really possible to make the ends meet for 3000 Tenges ($25) monthly?�, adding though that the average pension amount would be raised in the nearest future.
Meanwhile, pensioners of Semey (Semipalatinsk) City, Eastern Kazakhstan started an action of protest in front of the building of the City�s administration yesterday, August 17. The demonstrators demand their overdue pensions to be paid off.
Aug 18 (Radio �Liberty�)
Beibars BATYRKHANOV
Almaty, Aug 17
(THE GLOBE)
�After out-school institutions became state budget organisations, the Palace of Schoolchildren, as a number of other similar organisations, faced problems with taxation, which may result in financial insolvency and self-liquidation of these institutions,� the director of the Republican Palace of Schoolchildren announced on Tuesday in Almaty.
Nurlan Zhamadilov stated that according to the new law on education, the tax on land of the Palace was 1 million 862 thousand tenge per annum. This amount will increase, if they do not pay the tax in time. The director said that to maintain the Palace they have to spend 60 million tenge, while for the time being the state allotted only 20 million tenge. This is enough only to pay salary to the personnel. Now the number of the latter comes to 122 out of 250, as at the present time they have constantly to reduce the staff.
In general, Mr. Zhamadilov emphasised, the Palace of Schoolchildren managed to survive owing to paid courses, the profits from which was 5.5 million tenge per year. For children from families with a small income, courses are free. The total number of children visiting courses is 6.5 thousand from 6 to 18 years.
The administration of the Palace is anxious, as the state structures, despite the difficult condition, create different obstacles, thus impeding the proper functioning of this children�s institution. For example, the city SES (Sanitary Epidemic Station) daily visits the Palace to check the basin. Once they declared that the content of chloride was not enough in the water, then they considered the content more than required. In the result, the basis is not working for two weeks.
According to Nurlan Zhamadilov, as on the beginning of 1999 there were 804 out-school institutions in the republic. 338 thousand of children are visiting these institutions, that is 9.9% of the total number of pupils. In comparison with 1991, the number of these institutions has reduced by 923, the most reduction is observed in Zhambyl, Eastern Kazakhstan, Northern Kazakhstan, Kzylorda and Almaty regions. The closing of rural out-school institutions where children are taught in the state language seems to be especially undesirable.
Michail SERGEEV
Almaty, August 19 (THE GLOBE)
�The city authorities are doing everything possible to smother our company and make it a bankrupt,� the chairman of the Board of directors of the JSC �Zelenstroi� announced on Thursday in Almaty.
According to Marat Chormanov, from August 3, 1999, in accordance with the order of the Almaty Akim and functionaries of the city Committee on State Property and Privatisation, without any respective court sentence and a public prosecutor�s sanction, the property of the industrial base �Zelenstroi� was arrested.
The police guard completely paralysed the work of the personnel, which is being incurring a great tangible and moral damage. In connection with this, the chairman stated, �we demand the compensation of the damage caused by officers of the police of Almaty Department of Internal Affairs in the amount of 10 million tenge.�
According to Mr. Chormanov, the formal reason for the arbitrary was the court dispute regarding the former control state shareholding of �Zelenstroi�, which was purchased by the concern �CIT� at the auction held on December 18, 1998.
�The company�s property, which can be arrested only according to the court sentence, has nothing to do with this,� Mr. Chormanov explained.
Repeated appeals of �Zelenstroi� to the Almaty public prosecutor and general prosecutor of RK, as well as to the city department of justice, failed.
�The Akim of the southern capital is higher than the Kazakhstan Constitution and legislation, but we will continue to struggle against these arbitrary taking legal measure,� the chairman declared.
The chairman of the Board of directors of �Zelenstroi� believes that the conditions of illegal arbitrary have firmly taken shape in the republic. The right reinforcement organisations, including the Office of Public Prosecutor are often used for political and selfish ends to meet the interests of state functionaries and clans.
At the present time, the shares of citizens who legally purchased them from the concern �CIT�, the main shareholder of the big company improving appearance of the southern capital, are blocked.
According to Mr. Chormanov, such illegal actions were observed before as well. In February 1999 the public prosecutor of Almaty blocked the transaction with shares of 400 shareholders of �Zelenstroi�, though there was a court dispute with only one shareholder.
All these facts make the ability of the state and its powerful branches to guarantee security of the private property according to the Constitution and republican legislation, as well as perspective development of a civilised market economy in Kazakhstan, doubtful.
Aug 18, (Rediff)
India and Kazakhstan have agreed to improve trade relations.
The two countries also signed a bilateral agreement on visa-free access in New Delhi today.
The two developments were highlights of the two-day visit of Kazakhstan Deputy Prime Minister Kassymzhomart Tokaev.
The two countries would explore the possibility of joint production and processing of oil and natural gas.
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited, India�s state-owned gas and oil explorer, has already been permitted to explore Kazakhstan�s vast oilfields.
ONGC has plans to step up its investment in prospecting by Rs 18 billion ($ 423 million). In 1998-99, it invested Rs 15 billion.
India exports tea and pharmaceuticals to Kazakhstan and imports steel.
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