Tag Archives: politics

Georgia’s minister reiterates Saakashvili threat

JUNE 27 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) – Georgia’s justice minister, Tea Tsulukiani, reiterated that former president Mikheil Saakashvili would be arrested if he travelled to Georgia to campaign in a parliamentary election set for October. The Georgian government has put out arrest warrants for Mr Saakashvili connected to various financial crimes when he was in power between 2004 and 2013. Mr Saakashvili is currently governor of the Odessa region in Ukraine. He has said that he would like to return to Georgia ahead of the election.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 287, published on July 1 2016)

200 people protest against drug law in Georgia

TBILISI, JUNE 26 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — Roughly 200 people protested in front of the former parliament building in central Tbilisi against what they said was an excessively draconian and ineffective zero tolerance policy towards drugs.

The protest was one of several organised this year against the drug law in the run-up to a parliamentary election.

In Georgia, possession of even the smallest amount of drugs is considered a criminal offence that could lead to a jail sentence. The law allows police officers to stop people on the street and test them for drug use.

The Georgian Dream coalition takes a conservative approach to society, pulling in support from Georgia’s traditional Orthodox Christian society, but it risks alienating more liberal-minded voters ahead of the election that analysts have said will be hard fought.

Under the slogan ‘Don’t punish us’, demonstrators demanded the decriminalisation of drugs and the allocation of resources instead to social projects and drug rehabilitation schemes.

David Otiashvili, one of the organisers of the protest, said the current legislation was not effective and that it was being used by the police as a tool to impose control over society.

“The legislation is really strict and harsh and it focuses only on punishing people. Georgia is testing 50,000 to 60,000 people per year and it costs us millions and millions. And we know that this drug test does nothing good, there is zero effect,” he said.

The previous government under President Mikheil Saakashvili imposed the zero tolerance rules.

Tea Kordzadze, one of the protesters, said: “What has this repressive drug policy brought to Georgia? The number of drug users has increased.”

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 287, published on July 1 2016)

Kazakhstan to introduce civil service code

ALMATY, JUNE 24 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — Kazakhstan’s government said that it wants to introduce a code of conduct focused for its civil servants to improve their image with the public.

Maksat Musin, head of the Kazakh civil service, said in a statement on the government’s website that he wanted the new code to improve standards in general.

“The full aims of the code have not yet been set out but the general principles are already established, these are to be modest and ethical,” he said.

Kazakhstan’s government has previously tried to improve the quality and professionalism of its civil service. In 2013 it introduced a special set of exams to try and recruit a cadre of new, professional civil servants.

Still, ordinary Kazakhs were scornful of the potential decree. They said that the government was fond of making empty policy statements about improving government structures and employees which make little or no impact.

“I think it’s some kind of superficial idea to pretend that the government is doing something,” said Nurbek, an Almaty-based student. “The main problem with our government officials is corruption and this is really bad. That’s what they should be working on instead of pretending that they are doing something.”

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 287, published on July 1 2016)

Oilmen strike in western Kazakhstan

JULY 28 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — Around 700 oil workers staged a two-hour strike, protesting against alleged pay cuts and job losses at the Burgylau oil service company in Zhanaozen, western Kazakhstan, the US-funded RFE/RL reported. Burgylau is linked to businessman Yakov Tskhai, who owns a majority stake in its parent company KazPet- roDrilling. In 2011, around 15 people died in Zhanaozen during clashes between striking oilmen and police.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 291, published on Aug. 1 2016)

Turkmen President continues his firing spree

JUNE 26 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) – On a trip to to the northern Turkmen province of Dashoguz this month, President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov continued his firing spree by sacking seven officials and reprimanding nine others, the local language service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported. Mr Berymukhamedov has sacked dozens of government officials over the past couple of years as he looks to shift blame over an economy that continues to falter.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 287, published on July 1 2016)

Lithuania refuses Shalabaev extradition for Kazakhstan

JUNE 28 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) – In a snub to the Kazakh government, a court in Lithuania said that it won’t order the government to detain and extradite the brother-in- law of Mukhtar Ablyazov, the billionaire former opposition leader. Syrym Shalabayev is the brother of Ablyazov’s wife. He was given asylum in Lithuania. Ablyazov is in French custody fighting extradition charges to Kazakhstan for allegedly stealing $5b when he was chairman of BTA Bank.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 287, published on July 1 2016)

Kyrgyzstan’s Supreme Court changes Askarov sentence

JUNE 22 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) – Kyrgyzstan’s Supreme Court said it would reconsider a life sentence levied against Azimzhan Askarov, a prominent human rights defender, on July 11. Police arrested Askarov in the aftermath of clashes in 2010 that toppled President Kurmanbek Bakiyev’s government for inciting ethnic hatred. Pressured by US lobby groups, who have held up Askarov as a human rights champion, the Court had announced in April that it would revise the sentence.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 286, published on June 24 2016)

Person in the news: Asset Issekeshev, the new mayor of Astana

JUNE 20 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) – An urbane, English-speaking former civil servant who has quickly climbed up through the ranks, Asset Issekeshev, 44, is the prototype of Kazakhstan’s new generation. One of his most high-profile colleagues is Baurzhan Baibek, 42, mayor of Almaty since August 2015, forming a duopoly of power in the country’s most important civic positions.

But while Mr Baibek received a government grant to study in Germany, Mr Issekeshev’s education was completed in Kazakhstan, at the Al-Farabi University in Almaty, with a Law degree.

A Karaganda native, Mr Issekeshev then graduated from the Higher School of Public Administration, an aspiring model school for politicians.

Since the late 1990s, Mr Issekeshev has worked his way through government bodies, reaching the post of minister of industry and trade in 2009. Under him, the ministry underwent two successive reorganisations, first it changed name to the ministry of industry and new technologies and in 2014 to the ministry for investment and development.

Now the ever loyal Mr Issekeshev has claimed a top job as the mayor of Astana. Adilbek Dzhaksybekov, named chief of the presidential administration this week, was the incumbent before Mr Issekeshev took over on June 21.

Other notable mayors include Umirzak Shukeyev, currently chief of Kazakhstan’s sovereign wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna, and Imangali Tasmagambetov, currently minister of defence and formerly Kazakh PM.

Throughout the history of independent Kazakhstan, the post of Astana mayor has proved to be a powerful springboard. When President Nursultan Nazarbayev wants to

raise the profile of a career-bureaucrat, the mayoral position in Astana is a perfect position.

Next year, the much awaited and heralded EXPO will take place in Astana, and Mr Issekeshev will be the young face of the shiny Kazakh capital.

The public likes him and local political observers highly regard him. He ranked as the most popular minister in the country last year, in a poll organised by KIPR, a local think-tank. In June 2013, he was named among the top ten of Kazakhstan’s most powerful elite people, according to the Strategiya think-tank.

This, perhaps, puts him in a strong position to play a role inMr Nazarbayev’s succession plans.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 286, published on June 24 2016)

Tajik ministers swear oath of allegiance

JUNE 22 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) – Under new rules, government ministers in Tajikistan will have to swear an oath of allegiance to President Emomali Rakhmon, media reported. The new rule will further boost the perceived power of Mr Rakhmon. He has been accused of building a personality cult.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 286, published on June 24 2016)

Kazakh president shuffles key government roles

ALMATY, JUNE 21 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev reshuffled several government positions, naming a new mayor for Astana and a new chief of the presidential administration, perhaps giving an indication of how he sees his succession playing out.

Former Astana mayor Adilbek Dzhaksybekov was named chief of the presidential administration, taking the place of Nurlan Nigmatullin, who was quickly made Speaker of parliament.

Mr Nazarbayev thanked and lauded both for their services.

“Mr Nigmatullin worked with me for many years with skill and professionalism, proving himself during hard times,” Mr Nazarbayev said. “Mr Dzhaksybekov has previously worked in this position, for which we need a person with experience and equilibrium.”

The head of the presidential administration is one of the most powerful positions in the Kazakh political system, marking a major promotion for the 61-year-old Mr Dzhaksybekov.

For Mr Nigmatullin, known as the “Grey Cardinal” for his deal making abilities and loyalty to Mr Nazarbayev, the position of Speaker of parliament is an important one. According to the Kazakh constitution, if Mr Nazarbayev resigns or dies in office, he will take over as president.

Importantly, too, Asset Issekeshev, former minister of innovation and development was named mayor of Astana, replacing Mr Dzhaksybekov.

Mr Issekeshev, 44, is seen as a rising star. As mayor of Astana, he will be the face of the capital city, when it hosts the EXPO next year.

Mr Nazarbayev is 75-year-old but has yet to lay out a coherent succession plan. He has ruled over Kazakhstan since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 286, published on June 24 2016)