By Wallace Kaufman, Oct 21 (The GLOBE)
The New York Times has not elaborated on its allegations that a Swiss investigator found two accounts with some $80 million linked to President Nazarbayev, but the way Astana handled the news has drawn world attention.
The Presidential spokesperson Lev Tarakov immediately denied that the president had any accounts in Switzerland, though he did not say there were no accounts for friends of family of the president. He called the New York Times story, �not a professionally made piece.� That was not the only action that followed the news story.
When Russian television stations broadcast a short notice of the New York Times allegations on the afternoon of Saturday, October 16, Alma TV stopped rebroadcasting the Russian stations and according to the Glasnost Defense Foundation an order from Kazakhtelecome stopped the rebroadcast of Russia�s NTV station by private stations in Almaty. Viewers in Almaty and other cities suddenly found a blank screen and the words, �Technical Difficulties.�
The Globe, which ran a brief summary of the New York Times� allegations earlier this week found that some 600 copies of the edition carrying the story were confiscated in Astana. Witnesses in the capital refused to talk about the incident which took place at the Astana Kitel exhibition.
In an attempt to get the government�s side of the story The Globe specifically asked Askar Alimzhanov, chief deputy of the press service, if it were true that the Kazakhstani government, as reported by the Times, filed a motion in Swiss courts to unfreeze two accounts. The deputy said he could not comment.
The Globe called the press secretary�s office more than ten times to get comments on the New York Times� allegations. Reporters at the Globe could not get anyone to say more than that the President has no Swiss bank accounts.
The Glasnost Defense Foundation said the government�s response in closing television stations was uncalled for and that, �this is not the first time that authorities demonstrate their inability to resolve situations which are unfavorable to them in a civilized way.�
By restricting the free flow of information, Glasnost said, �The creation of favorable conditions for private business development in the county are now in doubt.�
Erkanat ABENI
ALMATY, Oct 21
(THE GLOBE)
�In the middle of November 1999 the Romanian President Emil Constantinesku will officially visit Kazakhstan,� the Romanian ambassador to Kazakhstan announced.
According to Mr. Marin Stenesku, this will be the first official visit of the President of Romania to Kazakhstan in response to Nursultan Nazarbaev�s visit. The visit is supposed to support the alternative oil transportation routes from the Caspian Sea. On the other hand, it is to assist creating of the economic corridor between Europe and Central Asia via Romania. Third, the visit will promote widened mutual relations, first of all in the economic field.
�We have achieved definite results in relations with Kazakhstan. Legal basis of the mutual relations consists of 12 documents, while for 6 months of 1999 the consumable turnover between our countries came to US$ 612.7 thousand,� Mr. Stenesku said.
Representative of the Romanian embassy said that recently an oil-separating plant had been built and put into exploitation in Akshabulak (Kzylorda region). This plant was constructed by the Romanian company �Industrialexport SA� according to the order of �Kazgermunai� joint venture.
�We are going to work in Kazakhstan first of all in oil industry, and to supply oil equipment. To achieve this, �PETROM�, which has concluded a contract with the Investment Agency is working in Kazakhstan. This company is planning to invest US$ 150 million to Kazakhstan,� Mr. Stenesku emphasized. According to him, this was the contract for exploitation of Zhusaly oilfield in Kzylorda region.
We remind you, in June 1999 three conferences of the intergovernmental Romanian-Kazakhstan commission were held in Bucharest. Intergovernmental agreements for trade-economic co-operation were signed there.
Gulbanu ABENOVA
ASTANA, Oct 21
(THE GLOBE)
�The authorities were preparing for this falsification for a long time, because I know Mr. Nazarbaev has a black list of about twenty persons, who should not be adopted. I was one of the first who was included in the list,� a candidate to the Mazhilis deputies, who had not passed to the second round, announced to THE GLOBE on October 21 in Astana.
Baltash Tursumbaev nominated in Kostanai region believes this statement is grounded with his pre-election conversation with the Akim of the region Mr. Shukeev. According to Mr. Tursumbaev, the regional Akim referring the problem of nationality to told him he had no chances to be elected. The candidate answered it was his and his electors� problem, while he was to observe the law on elections, though he considered it anti-democratic.
The authorities� unwillingness to see the ex-ambassador and vice president among deputies of the new Parliament is proved by the fact that when he had been registered as a candidate, he �was not adopted to any mass media.�
�Those interviews which I gave were jammed, I could not speak anywhere (television, radio, official newspapers). But in a week �Caravan� and local newspapers published different lampoons addressed to me,� he said.
Nevertheless, the population, despite a shock, did not believe to these materials. Just the opposite, many people supported him. During the pre-election campaign several thousands of people, who had voluntarily agitated and propagandised his program, had joined them, Mr. Tursumbaev stated.
As far as the election is concerned, on October 10, the headquarter of Tursumbaev could sent its observers only to three rural districts.
�We agreed with rural volunteers, but they were told if any of them observed and help Tursumbaev, they would receive no grain waste products, hay or straw. Moreover, they would lose their jobs. Different presidents, residents of companies were called, and in these three districts they falsified votes. Even from weak observers, who brought data in the morning October 11 I had more votes than the authorities� deputies,� he assures.
According to Mr. Tursumbaev, the authorities nominated two candidates (Kornev and Bisetaev) at once. Both of them are businessmen. According to the poll results, these two businessmen who will take part in the second round had less votes in Kostanai than I did, he said. According to his data, about 50% voted for him, a little more than 40% - for these two persons, and about 10% - for the rest candidates. In the Kostanai southern district No. 40 six candidates participated in the election. Another proof of the falsification Mr. Tursumbaev considers the fact that the Central Election Commission announced the results only in 7 days. He said, they had applied to courts, Office of Public Prosecutor and Central Election Commission, but no answer received. �Dolls did not answer. I cannot call Mrs. Balieva in another way. She is not the chairman of the Central Election Commission, but a doll. Of course, she is being moved by persons sitting in the President�s office. Whatever these persons say, she would illuminate in the press. That is her work, as she has not give any answer to all my appeals, claims of members of the headquarter, proxies. Common people also applied to her, veterans arrived to bring a letter. They asked her to read and consider the facts. She offered drinks to these old people, veterans of the War, deceived them and poisoned, he stated.
In conclusion he emphasised he would struggle till the end with civilised methods, though in his opinion, it was impossible to manage the truth in our country. Mr. Tursumbaev believes his voice may reach �our ruler Mr. Nazarbaev through civilised states, and foreign mass media, as keys are in his hands and no persons manipulating dolls can sound until Mr. Nazarbaev approves. I think once he will approve the truth and justness, I hope so,� he concluded.
All Over the Globe is published by IPA House.
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