Wallace KAUFMAN, ALMATY, Oct 21 (THE GLOBE)
Our newspaper asked prominent opposition leader Pyotr Svoik and his opponent, compputer magnate Isakhan Alimzhanov a series of questions about their hotly contested race for parliament. Here are highlights from their replies.
Pyotr Svoik.
“For Kazakhstan I am too straightforward and open, and here that is uncomfortable”
About his opponent whom he called a “Kazakhstani Bill Gates”: “He embodies a very attractive model for youth, and not only in being a self-made and fortunate businessman, “son of a sheepherder”. . . [but for ] personal talent, energy, entrepreneurism,
Because the President can veto any law and can dissolve parliament, the Globe asked, how can Parliament’s power be expanded? Svoik’s answer, “Deep constitutional reform, and only that.”
On where he would concentrate his influence Svoik said, “There is one unique and decisive sphere of government activity where parliament can and should focus its attention: that is the demonopolization of excess power
Laws he would like to change: “Law on the Mass Media. Under
present circumstances there is no independent press or television. Without that don’t even talk about movement toward democracy. Law of the Courts: In Kazakhstan there are not independent judges or courts. Without that, don’t even talk about government of laws.”
Here are answers by Isakhan Alimzhanov to the same questions.
About himself: “Sometimes it is a process but not the result that is important. Sometimes no result is the best result. In this case my force may become my weakness.”
“Taking into consideration events of the last two months, Svoik as a former functionary and a bright representative of the state nomenclature was sent by the system to work in the opposition.”
“The only radical measure may really extend the Parliament authority. It is constitutional fixation of imperative mandate and the institute of electors’ mandate to deputy.”
He would like to influence: “The first sphere is control for natural monopolies. The second one is the computer system of operative control for the budget. The third field is taxes. But all these changes will be efficient, if the government is influenced by the Parliament according to interests of the population, but not of clan-corporate groups.”
He considers necessary to change: “First, it is the tax legislation. Second, the law on natural monopolies. Third, the law on transparent public control for the budget. Of course, everything is to be based on laws on imperative mandate, the institute electors’ mandate to deputy and withdrawal of deputies.”
From the editorial staff: we are sincerely grateful to Isakhan Alimzhanov and Pyotr Svoik for their participation in the poll conducted by THE GLOBE.
We could not ignore one moment, which is very important, in our opinion. Candidates’ fundamental difference is obvious in their answers on changes of legislation.
Isakhan Alimzhanov first of all mentions tax legislation and natural monopolies. He understands perfectly well that normal taxes are required for business development, as the role of monopolists is extremely high in the market.
At the same time Pyotr Svoik considers laws on elections, local self-governing and courts to be main. We see a businessman behind words of the first person, as he would like to change whatever impedes business. While response of the second one evidently reveal a politician. Svoik speaks about fundamental changes of the system, without which any supplement to tax legislation and other laws seem cosmetic repairs of the rotten facade.
Alimzhanov’s reference to his electors’ requirements is noteworthy. The businessman’s thoughts about the institution of electors’ mandate to deputies resemble to activity of deputies during the soviet period, when they rather settled common people’s municipal and other everyday problems than dealt with legislation.
‘All the rest is either cheap populism or manilovchina,” Isakhan Alimzhanov states speaking about priority laws.
Is it indeed impossible to build democratic society in Kazakhstan?
Or will it require changes of the entire society, in which selection of worthy candidates and rights and freedoms of common people are guaranteed? It depends on you, electors!
The reader may have an impression that we support one of these two candidates. Pyotr Svoik is the author of a number of articles for THE GLOBE and “The Energy of Kazakhstan”. Though Isakhan Alimzhanov may be a potential advertising customer.
The Chief-editor of THE GLOBE and “The Energy of Kazakhstan”
Nurlan Ablyazov,
the Editor of THE GLOBE Rashid Dyusembaev,
The Editor of “The Energy of Kazakhstan” Nygmet Ibadildin
Bakytzhamal BEKTURGANOVA, president of ASaP
ALMATY, Oct 21
Since the election (October 10) a week has passed. The tension has abated. The second round of the election will be held soon. The Central Election Commission is keeping silent. The only person on whom the election result depends (the President of the country) is on a short leave. While he is absent, parties and candidates give estimate the election. Akimats and election commissions have fulfilled their responsibility: most sits in the Parliament are distributed between members of the two parties (“Otan” and Civil Party).
Comparative estimations and opinions presented in figures
A month before the election polled Almaty citizens predicted falsification of the election results. Expectations of most respondents have justified. Let’s compare estimations received on September 1-10 and on October 11-20 (right after the election).
In connection with the above comparison, we have quite reasonable questions. Is it required to hold a falsified election, if most population is confident in falsification of the election? Whom and in what this election is supposed to persuade? International investors who give money if we have visual democracy? Or the Kazakhstan population, who has neither money nor democracy? Isn’t it easier to appoint deputies that to falsify the election? Moreover, in fact, the election has been brought to appointment.
75.2% of the polled Almaty citizens believe that the election to the Parliament and Mazhilis held on October 10 was the choice made on behalf of people by the authorities.
Peter NOVIKOV
ALMATY, Oct 21
(THE GLOBE)
“I have a lot of evidences of infringements during the election. Each of them is confirmed by my observers with documents,” the leader of “Republic-2000” announced. Among the facts announced by Mrs. Baiseitova on Wednesday in Almaty she claimed: “at the election district No. 289, 8 bulletins fell from the file of a member of the election commission. These bulletins had been filled in for Sharip Omarov from Otan beforehand. Observers and operators of “Shakhar” TV company confirmed the incident.
Mrs. Baiseitova said she had been warned that main fraud falsifications would Take place in portable ballot-boxes. At the election district No. 322 while sealing ballot-boxes, observers were given two stationary ballot-boxes and a portable one. About 3 p.m. a second portable box was found at the district. Later members of the election commission took it and went to electors without observers.
According to observers from different parties and organisations, the chairman of the election commission of the district No. 322 M.A. Baekenov forbade calculation of bulletins from portable ballot-boxes and ordered them added to the common pile. After that seven observers from different parties and independent candidates prepared a complaint on infringements in this district. Observers suspected the commission falsified the election, and left the district, having refused to be present during the count of false votes.
Lira Baiseitova quoted Mrs. Balieva, as saying ‘… no fact of infringements revealed during the presidential election had been logically completed…” and recommended an appeal to the court if evidence appears.
“I have written many letters, announcements and appeals to courts and Offices of Public Prosecutor, but they either do not answer me or transfer my letters to each other delaying the consideration until they become invalid.
Then I wrote an open letter to the President Nazarbaev. But he did not answer me. Now the President is on leave. The country is undergoing a momentous event, while he is on leave. As if elections are held every day! The guarantor of the Constitution is on leave! To whom may we appeal? There is nobody able to protect the Constitution. Possibly, he is very tired and cannot guarantee observation of constitutional norms. Why do we need such a President? Let’s elect a new President,” Lira Baiseitova proposed.
In the end she concluded that it was impossible to restore violated honour, and the election was an official violation of voters’ rights. “Everyone of these high officials participated in violation of democracy either admitting falsification or ignoring infringements,” Lira Baiseitova said.
ALMATY, Oct 19
(THE GLOBE)
“All three branches of the Kazakhstan authorities are illegal,” the leader of “Orleu” movement announced on Tuesday in Almaty.
Seidakhmet Kuttykadam grounded his announcement that “the Kazakhstan President had been elected with falsifications, and the international community had not recognised the pre-time election. Hence, the court power formed by the executive branch was also illegal. Now we had the illegal Parliament.”
Mr. Kuttykadam said the movement had a lot of documents confirming infringements during the election. OSCE, where Orleu had applied to, had acknowledged the seriousness and arguments of the submitted documents, Mr. Kuttykadam emphasised.
The movement laid a case to the court regarding infringements. The first consideration has been appointed on October 19.
“The authorities may either refute all accusations or announce the election illegal. In the latter case they should not adopt all elected participants to the next election,” the Orleu leader supposed. He considers the expenses towards the election are to be compensated by functionaries along with the President, as ‘due to their fault the election became a shameful event.”
In Mr. Kuttykadam’s opinion, at present leaders are being changed all over the CIS (Ter-Petrosyan was dismissed in Armenia, a pre-time dismissal of Yeltsin is possible in Russia due to the President’s illness and scandals with the family’s accounts; the Kyrgyz leader announced he would not take part in the next election).
“Probably, in this situation, the President ought to consider this perspective as the most real one,” the leader of the movement believes.
In addition he said, the system crisis in Kazakhstan, the absence of any economy, bankruptcy of the country, coming default and against this background – the scandal with Swiss accounts, made credits impossible.
In connection with this, Orleu movement proposed several scenarios of overcoming the crisis:
· Mr. Nazarbaev sends in his resignation, transfers the power to Tokaev, who forms a coalition government, including the opposition and representatives of the society. A State Council consisting of different political forces (the opposition, authorities, and society) to elect the head (preferable from the opposition) is to be established. Tokaev will be the Prime Minister.
· If Tokaev heads the State Council, a representative of the opposition should head the government.
· Nazarbaev may be the President, but he announces the Parliamentary and presidential elections in the next year.
Seidakhmet Kuttykadam proposes to abandon the present Constitution thrust and to return to the Main Law of 1993 changed a little, as well as to hold elections of all Akims and judges.
The Orleu leader is anxious with the country’s external safety (the war in Russia, strengthening Vakhabism in Uzbekistan, unrest in China, events in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Pakistan).
“At the present time all political forces, including the authorities and the opposition, should take serious radical measures. This is the last chance to save the country,” he concluded.
Mr. Kuttykadam said approximately on October 27 the Democratic Forum would be held. Possibly, in the next spring the movement will become a party. At present the number of Orleu members is about 18 thousand persons.
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