Tag Archives: politics

Turkmen MPs pass corruption bill

MARCH 18 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Turkmenistan’s parliament voted in a new anticorruption law, although in reality it is little more than window dressing.

The law basically states that civil servants are restricted from private business and opening foreign bank accounts. The thinking is, it seems, that government officials are prone to corruption temptations. Perhaps by banning officials from private business, the government hopes to look pro-active in defeating corruption.

It has a long way to go. Corruption is rife in Turkmenistan, as the US-based Heritage Foundation noted in its global report on economies in 2014.

“Corruption is widespread, with public officials often forced to bribe their way into their positions,” the Heritage Foundation wrote on Turkmenistan.

Out of the 178 countries it ranked, the Heritage Foundation placed Turkmenistan at the bottom for both “property rights” and “freedom from corruption”.

Passing legislation is one thing but acting on it is another.

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(News report from Issue No. 176, published on March 19 2014)

Rakishev named head of Kazakhstan Engineering

MARCH 17 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Kenes Rakishev, the high-profile son-in-law of Astana mayor Imangali Tasmagambetov, has been appointed director at Kazakhstan Engineering . Kazakhstan Engineering is owned by Kazakh sovereign wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna. It mainly works with the ministry of defence to maintain military equipment

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(News report from Issue No. 176, published on March 19 2014)

Regional government appeases workers’ dispute in Kazakhstan

MARCH 5 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Acting as a peacemaker, the Aktobe regional government in north-west Kazakhstan stepped in to mediate in a labour dispute at an oil field operated by China’s state-run energy company CNPC.

The move highlights what appears to be Kazakhstan’s preferred policy when strikes are threatened — to appease labour unions rather than antagonise.

Kazakhstan is desperate to avoid a repeat of an oil workers’ strike in the western oil town of Zhanaozen in 2011 which ended in violence that killed at least 15 people.

Kazakh workers at CNPC AktobeMunaiGas say that they are treated unfairly, paid less and live in worse conditions compared to their Chinese counterparts.

This is a not a new complaint and, although China is a key energy client, Kazakhstan has pushed to improve worker conditions at Chinese companies. And this was no exception.

“The Commission recommended that managers improve the system of remuneration and create conditions for the production in accordance with labour laws,” the Aktobe government said in a statement.

Importantly sources in Aktobe said the threatened strike now appears to be on hold.

CNPC AktobeMunaiGas is one of Kazakhstan biggest oil producers, producing around 6m tonnes each year.

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(News report from Issue No. 175, published on March 12 2014)

Formula One expands into Azerbaijan

MARCH 9 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — If it materialises, it would be quite a publicity coup for Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Bernie Ecclestone, the unofficial ringmaster of Formula One, told British newspapers that plans were crystallising to hold a race in Baku in 2015 or 2016.

“We’re going to Azerbaijan,” Mr Ecclestone told British newspapers.

“The people out there [in Azerbaijan] are talking about holding a race in 2015. That may be a bit soon, unless it’s at the end of the season, that’s a possibility. But 2016 is more likely.”

This must be music to Mr Aliyev’s ears. As Azerbaijan has grown increasingly rich on energy wealth, Mr Aliyev has used various sports events and competitions to promote the country.

Next year, Azerbaijan hosts the inaugural European Games, it has placed a bid to hold the summer Olympics and also to stage the European Champions League final.

The glamour of Formula One, though, is unrivalled and Mr Aliyev would no doubt welcome it to Baku. Formula One is also one of the most watched TV sports around the World.

Mr Ecclestone has been trying to broaden the venues of Formula One races over the past few years. India and Malaysia now host their own race and Russia will host a Formula One race this year in Sochi.

If Azerbaijan does host a race in 2016, though, it will become the country with the smallest economy to host a Grand Prix.

Still, this does also come with pitfalls.

Human rights demonstrators in Bahrain targeted their demonstrations around the Formula One race in 2011. They may also take their opportunity in Baku too.

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(News report from Issue No. 175, published on March 12 2014)

Georgia’s capital approves city budget

MARCH 7 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Tbilisi’s city council voted through a 2014 budget after previously rejecting it twice. Passing the budget will allow stalled city projects to start again. The council is controlled by the Georgian Dream party; Former President Mikheil Saakashvili’s party controls the Tbilisi city hall, which submitted the original budget for approval.

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(News report from Issue No. 175, published on March 12 2014)

Uzbekistan publishes dodgy statistics

MARCH 5 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — According to the Uzmetronom.uz website, many of the statistics published by the state agency are incorrect. It quoted independent economists saying that the government uses favourable data to inflate its achievements. Uzbekistan’s has been reporting a booming economy despite apparent stresses in the system.

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(News report from Issue No. 175, published on March 12 2014)

Former governor and militia chief arrested in Georgia

MARCH 5 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Police at Tbilisi airport have arrested a fugitive Georgian warlord who promised to ignite a civil war in 2006 after fleeing the country, Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty reported.

Emzar Kvitsiani was arrested when he flew into Tbilisi after eight years in exile. He had once controlled the Kodori Gorge with his militia known as Monadire, which means hunter.

Under former President Eduard Shevardnazde, Mr Kvitsiani had been governor of the Kodori Gorge but had fallen out with Mikheil Saakashvili and his supporters when they came to power during the so-called Rose Revolution of 2003.

His militia was banned but Mr Kvitsiani had refused to give up his weapons. Eventually, in 2006, Georgian soldiers started operations in the Kodori Gorge to track Mr Kvitsiani down.

He fled with barely a shot being fired.

It’s unclear, with the consequences of returning evident, why Mr Kvitsiani would have chosen to return to Georgia.

(News report from Issue No. 175, published on March 12 2014)

Tajik minister drops Russian surname

MARCH 10 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Looking to distance themselves from Russian culture, or perhaps just seeking to please their leader, Tajikistan’s interior minister and communications chief have ditched the -ov from their names, media reported. President Emomali Rakhmon dropped his -ov in 2007.

(News report from Issue No. 175, published on March 12 2014)

Tajikistan arrests lawyer of opposition figure

MARCH 9 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Underling Tajikistan’s authoritarian instinct, police arrested the lawyer of jailed opposition leader Zaid Saidov, media reported. Fakhriddin Zokirov, the lawyer who represented Sadiov last year in his corruption case, is accused of forging documents and theft.

(News report from Issue No. 175, published on March 12 2014)

Top Kazakh politician gets demoted

MARCH 4 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — Once considered a key kingmaker, Aslan Musin appears to have completed his fall from power after he was appointed Kazakhstan’s ambassador in Croatia, a fringe outpost in the Kazakh diplomatic service. Mr Musin had been head of the presidential administration for four years until being demoted in 2012.

(News report from Issue No. 174, published on March 5 2014)