ALMATY, March 1
(THE GLOBE)
New parliamentary initiatives
�Mr. President, we ask for your consent to accept all executive powers, in addition to your responsibilities as Head of State. We ask you to create a strong, professional, effective administration, which would properly tackle the economic problems,� said Anvar Batalov, Deputy of the Majilis. It�s common knowledge that last week during the session of Parliament, Mr. Batalov, leader of the public movement �For Kazakhstan 2030� distributed this appeal to the President of the republic. Mr. Batalov, further proposed that the government should withdraw an array of draft laws concerning the revenue part of the budget.
Such initiatives from the deputies are rarely their own and often constitute elements of political games. As for Deputy Butalov, one can consider his activity as a probing of public opinion and a disguise maneuvour in anticipation of possible early parliamentary elections.
The ahead of schedule Presidential elections were also proceded by similar initiatives from the Parliament. Not coincidentally, Mr. Butalov, was also one of the main proponents of the aforementioned initiatives. Now, Mr. Butalov�s movement is becoming an conductor of Presidential strategists� ideas concerning security and cooperation. It is widely known that the premature Presidential elections were used to push away Mr. Kazhegeldin from the race. One reason why Parliamentary elections may be held earlier than expected is to prevent the alliance and participation of opposition parties and movements in the election process. Being unregistered, these parties and movements cannot hope to acquire seats in the Parliament. Hence, the tactics of deterring registration and moving ahead of the expected date of election. Some independent analysts have suggested that in the background of such events lies the desire of certain circles to probe the positions of the speaker, Marat Ospanov. An explanation is needed here. This is not the first time that rumors have circulated that Mr. Ospanov is no longer a useful figure in politics and Mr. Oljas Suleymenov is more suitable for the position. Mr. Ospanov apparently accepted Butalov�s statement calmly.
As for the Kazakh Ambassador to Italy, he has always been acceptable to all rulers. Mr. Suleymenov was also acceptable to the West, where he is known as a political liberal. But it is quite certain that Mr. Suleymenov is not a fighter. This is why the Ambassador is a more suitable candidate than Ospanov.
President Nazarbayev said to the Russian television program �Hero for the Day� that he is a proponent of strong Presidential power. In his September address to the Kazakhstani people, Nazarbayev emphasized the necessity of introducing authoritarian rule, saying that he was ready to accept all responsibility for such rule if economic reality were to dictate its need. In our opinion, this result is hardly possible and direct Presidential rule will not be officially introduced. Though in reality, authoritarianism can be expected to increase.
For the present time, Prime Minister Nurlan Balgimbayev and his cabinet are quite convenient for the President.
The GLOBE Reference:
Anvar Kasymovich Batalov. Date and place of birth: Novemeber 29, 1939, Almaty, Kazakh. Mechanical engineer, degree from Kiev Civil Aviation Institute. Worked as an engineer at the Inspection Department of the Almaty Joint Flight, Secretary of the Komsomol Municipal Committee, Division Head of the Communist Party District Committe, Instructor, Division Head of the Communist Party Municipal Committee, in charge of the Reception and Executive Officer of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Kazakh Soviet Social Republic, Division Head, Deputy Chief of the Clerical Office of the State Labour Committee, Director General of Aikap Republican Business Enterprise, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Raimbek Company. Since December 1995, Member of the Majilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
by Matthew Lee
BEIJING, March 1 (AFP)
A deep rift over human rights dominated �forceful and tough� talks between US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Chinese officials here Monday.
�On human rights the discussions were forceful and tough and there wasn�t a lot of agreement,� State Department spokesman James Rubin told reporters after Albright met with Premier Zhu Rongji and Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan.
Rubin said the issue consumed a �significant chunk� of the three-and-a-half hour meeting with Tang and the dicussions with him and Zhu produced agreement in only a few areas, notably North Korea and nuclear non-proliferation.
�We do not see this visit as requiring breakthroughs,� Rubin said in an apparent attempt to neutralize the stark divisions on human rights and over the possible deployment of a sophisticated US missile defense system in the region.
Albright, who had earlier said human rights would be �one of the major subjects� of the talks, was �deeply disturbed� by recent crackdowns on dissidents which have drawn strong reactions in Washington, according to Rubin.
�The secretary made it very clear that crackdowns, arrests, are a step in the wrong direction,� Rubin said, adding they had caused a �substantial and intense reaction in the United States.�
In its annual human rights report the State Department Friday said China�s record worsened sharply in 1998 and cited �widespread and well-documented� abuses.
Chinese authorities Friday sentenced one dissident without trial to 18 months� detention and arrested another, with police picking up a third Sunday, just hours before Albright�s arrival in beijing.
Albright �made it clear that the United States and China cannot have fully normal relations as long as these kind of human rights issues remain an area of sharp disagreement.�
All Over the Globe is published by IPA House.
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