Erkanat ABENI
ALMATY, Sept 22 (THE GLOBE)
�The authorities, infringing the Law �On elections� organised the persecution of independent candidates,� a candidate to the Mazhilis in the Kostanai Southern election district announced on Wednesday in Almaty.
According to Baltash Tursumbaev, the authorities close any access to the local TV and newspapers for disagreeable candidates. �None of my speeches at press-conferences held by me was published or showed at the local TV, though journalists come and their cameras shoot,� the former Kazakhstan ambassador to Turkey stated. He said that only information discrediting disagreeable candidates was published.
Besides, Mr. Tursumbaev affirmed that meetings with electors were being wrecked, and according to the authorities� instruction posters pasted in crowded places were being torn down.
�What can we say about local representatives of the authorities, if even the Prime Minister Nurlan Balgimbaev during his visit to Kostanai seriously infringed the Law �On elections�, as he publicly agitated people not to vote for me,� Baltash Tursumbaev stated.
The deputy to the Mazhilis said that functionaries of different ranks, heads of TV channels, principles of schools had repeatedly told him that they were afraid to go to the meeting with him, as they had been called and threatened with dismissal. The tax police begins examination of private companies which wished to render him a sponsor aid. �That bacchanal observed in regions is just violence on people,� the former deputy of the Prime Minister emphasised.
Mr. Tursumbaev said that they had appealed to both the local and Central Election commissions, but they had received the same answer: �Facts were not proved.� He stated that on September 21 he had sent an appeal to the President of Kazakhstan requesting to stop autocracy in regions. He also is going to appeal to the General Office of Public Prosecutor of RK and is ready to submit required proofs to prosecute transgressors.
ALMATY, Sept 22 (THE GLOBE)
�The main objective of the pre-election political block �Centre� is the struggle against extremism of both the present authorities and the opposition,� one of the participants of this block announced on Wednesday in Almaty.
Dostan Kadyrzhanov believes that in Kazakhstan the authorities and the opposition are of non-compromise basis, and their block is intended for consolidation.
�Besides, our block is being established to unite efforts of candidates during the pre-election race,� he stated.
According to another participant of the block Baltash Tursumbaev, the Kazakhstan opposition does not have any alternative idea, as its ideology is just change persons being at power.
Participants of the pre-election political block hope that in future they will establish on the basis of �centre� at first a public union, and then � a political party of a centrist wing.
�For the time being 5 independent candidates are participants of the block �Centre�. These candidates are self-nominated to the Mazhilis and local Maslikhats, but we invite everybody whose civil position is close to ours,� the candidate to the Parliament resumed.
Michail SERGEEV, Beibars BATYRKHANOV
ALMATY, Sept 22 (THE GLOBE)
The election to the Mazhilis will be held in a little more than two weeks. The pre-election fight in the republic, and especially in the southern capital is getting hotter. On Wednesday in Almaty the next public debates of three candidates from different elections districts were held.
This time Sedakhmet Kuttykadam, the leader of �Orleu� movement, Raushan Sarsembaeva, the President of the Association of businesswomen of Kazakhstan and Valery Makalkin, an independent candidate.
The leader of �Orleu� believes that �educated and honest people, who have proved with their actions and experience that they are able to defend the population�s interest, should enter the Parliament.�
In Sedakhmet Kuttykadam�s opinion, the main legislative body of the country is to completely control the budget, personnel policy and observation of the laws approved by the Parliament. According to Mr. Kuttykadam, �shameful laws on pensioners, youth and mass media are to be abandoned first of all.�
�Kazakhstan will have no future until the society gets rid of corruption,� added Mr. Kuttykadam.
It is known that �Otan� party offered all candidates to approve the Code of Honour. The attitude of the leader of �Orleu� to this event is as follows:
�What code can we talk about, when this party has beforehand determined dishonest rules of the game. �Otan� supports the present authorities, through which the election will be falsified in the party�s favour. It is impossible to treat this proposal seriously, as it is an absolute demagogy.�
Raushan Sarsembaeva emphasised imperfection and contradictions of our legislation were directly connected with a low percentage of women in the legislative bodies of the authorities.
In her opinion, there should be more women in the Parliament than we have now.
�We should strive for an equal representation of women in all branches of the authorities. In this case only our state will be on the way of democratic reforms and will begin to listen to the society�s requirements,� the leader of republican businesswomen emphasised.
Valery Makalkin believes that the Parliament may really improve the population�s life only if professionals work there.
�Reforms being realised in our country should improve the population�s standard of life, first of all,� he stated.
In his opinion, all branches of the authorities, including the court one, are to be appointed by election.
All Over the Globe is published by IPA House.
© 1998 IPA House. All Rights Reserved.