AUG. 27 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Kyrgyz president Almazbek Atambayev asked his political party, the Social Democrats, to try to form a new governing coalition in parliament after the collapse last week of a four-party group over corruption allegations, media reported. The Social Democrats have 15 days to form a government.
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(News report from Issue No. 103, published on Aug. 31 2012)
MAY 28 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Turkmen President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov sacked his energy minister, Bairamgeldy Nedirov, for “serious shortcomings”, media quoted the presidential office as saying. Mr Nedirov had served as energy minister since Aug. 2008. His dismissal on May 25 came two days after signing a gas deal with India and Pakistan.
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(News report from Issue No. 090, published on June 1 2012)
APRIL 14 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – An enraged Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, Turkmenistan’s president, sacked his energy minister, Yarmukhamet Orazgulyev, for being a bad parent, media reported.
Mr Orazgulyev’s son had been racing through Ashgabat with other sons and daughters of the Turkmen elite, when he crashed his car. One person was killed in the crash.
It was not clear who died in the crash but Mr Berdymukhamedov’s irritation was clear.
Not only did he sack Mr Orazgulyev as the energy minister but he also sacked the head of the prestigious university where many of the offspring of the elite study.
The incident provides two useful insights into Turkmenistan, one of the world’s most repressive and secretive countries.
Firstly, Mr Orazgulyev’s reaction to his dismissal showed the extent of Mr Berdymukhamedov’s powers. State media described him agreeing with Mr Berdymukhamedov that he had been a poor parent and begging for any sort of job.
Secondly, the incident highlights the joy-riding, privileged lifestyles of the sons and daughters of the elite who appear to have been able to treat Ashgabat at night as their personal race track, with officials and policemen unwilling to challenge them.
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(News report from Issue No. 084, published on April 20 2012)
JAN. 24 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Police in Tajikistan detained several high-profile anti-narcotics officials for allegedly helping drug smugglers dodge the security services, local media reported. The arrests highlight the extent of corruption in Tajikistan and the collusion between the drug runners and senior officials.
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(News report from Issue No. 74, published on Jan. 26 2012)
JAN. 7 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Turkmen president Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov fired Aman Khanaliyev, the head of the state energy company Turkmengaz. Mr Khanaliyev had been in the post for a year. This is the third time Mr Berdymukhamedov has sacked the head of Turkmengaz since he became president in 2007.
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(News report from Issue No. 72, published on Jan. 13 2012)
DEC. 26 2011 (The Conway Bulletin) – Looking to impose his authority after the riots, Mr Nazarbayev sacked his son-in-law, Timur Kulibayev, as head of the sovereign wealth fund. Most of the rioters had been ex-oil workers and, as head of the fund, Mr Kulibayev had been in charge of the state energy company. He was seen as a potential successor to Mr Nazarbayev. Umirzak Shukeyev, a deputy PM, replaced Kulibayev as head of the fund.
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(News report from Issue No. 71, published on Jan. 5 2012)
DEC. 16 2011 (The Conway Bulletin) – Led by the Social Democrats, four parties formed a new government coalition in Kyrgyzstan. The Social Democrats are the party of new president Almazbek Atambayev although the new PM will be Omurbek Babanov from Respublika. Excluded from the coalition is Ata-Zhurt which represents Kyrgyz from the south.
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(News report from Issue No. 70, published on Dec. 22 2011)
OCT. 5 2011 (The Conway Bulletin) – Timur Kulibayev, head of the Kazakh sovereign wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna, said Kazakhstan would pay up to $1b for a 10% stake in the oil and gas project Karachaganak. His statement raised hopes that the state and the Karachaganak investors were nearing an end to their long-running dispute.
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(News report from Issue No. 60, published on Oct. 11 2011)
AUG. 5 2011 (The Conway Bulletin) – Kazakhstan has returned control of its prisons to its interior ministry, which operates its own army, the Daily Telegraph newspaper reported. The ministry of justice had controlled the prisons since 2002 but a series of breakouts and riots undermined its authority. US human rights group Freedom House criticised the decision as a step backwards.
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(News report from Issue No. 52, published on Aug. 10 2011)
JULY 29 2011 (The Conway Bulletin) – In a scene reminiscent of Soviet times, several central bankers in Turkmenistan admitted during a broadcast on state television that they had stolen millions of dollars, news agencies reported. The bankers were given lengthy prison sentences.
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(News report from Issue No. 51, published on Aug. 2 2011)
