Voice of Democracy
Published by Kazakhstan 21st Century Foundation · Washington, D.C. · N· Dec. 17, 2004

''KAZAKH ELECTIONS WORSE THAN UKRAINE' -- "Ukraine's political earthquake may have sent shock waves through Russia and Europe," reported the New York Times, but barely a tremor was felt in Kazakhstan, where rigged elections are commonplace and international protests fall on deaf ears. But dictators like Nazarbayev cannot afford to ignore what happened in Ukraine, where people fed up with a corrupt and autocratic regime took to the streets to demand free and fair elections. October's parliamentary elections were called unfair by local and Western monitors, and the growing opposition movement was held to a single seat; the lone opposition member refused to take his seat in protest, the Times reported. Nazarbayev had promised a new election law and fair and open voting, but it didn't happen. The election was considered "the most blatantly fraudulent" in the nation's 13 years of independence, said the Times. Kazakh opposition figures have gone to Kiev, Ukraine, to learn what it was that led supporters of the opposition candidate there to take to the streets against what they considered a fraudulent election and force a new vote. When members of Bright Path, Kazakhstan's largest opposition party, called for a protest demonstration in Astana after the recent elections, the regime forbid it and the rally was canceled out of fear of violence. The Times notes that "Transparency International rates Kazakhstan one of the most corrupt countries in the world." ''This is a critical moment for the regime,'' said Alikhan Baimenov, a Kazakh opposition leader. ''They should look at Georgia and Ukraine and begin to make democratic reforms, and if they don't, there is no hope.'' Don't hold your breath waiting. One Western observer said, ''There is no evidence that [Nazarbayev] will learn the lesson -- that falsified elections tend to produce conflict. On the contrary, I think these events just increase their paranoia.''

ANOTHER STEP BACKWARDS -- Officials of the European Commission (EC) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) warned that anti extremism legislation now before the Kazakh parliament will do more damage to human rights than to extremist activities. The groups told a forum on extremism in Astana this week that they recognize the legitimate purposes of the legislation and the right of the state to protect itself and its citizens, but it is so poorly drafted that it that unless amended it is a threat to the human rights of Kazakh citizens. Alan Waddams, head of the EC delegation, said it is essential to balance the government's efforts in fighting terrorism and excessive restriction of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Kazakhstan has one of the worst human rights records, according to reports by the U.S. State Department and various international organizations.

FOX GUARDING HEN HOUSE -- Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev has declared his goal for 2005 is to "sweep away corruption," according to the state news agency, Kazinform. The job will be done "in a gradual and steady way," it said. The problem of corruption in state agencies is urgent, he told a meeting with members of his Otan party in Astana. If fighting corruption is like charity -- it begins at home -- the ethically challenged dictator faces a monumental task. 2005 may be the year that his own corruption will get increased international attention. Nazarbayev has been named in a major corruption case now before a U.S. federal court in New York; his former economic advisor to go on trial in April on charges of money laundering, bribery and conspiracy related to his role in negotiating oil and gas contracts in which Nazarbayev allegedly personally received huge payoffs. The avaricious autocrat and his overpaid army of Washington lobbyists and PR flacks reportedly went directly to the White House and State Department to plead with the Bush administration to drop the FBI investigation into Nazarbayev's dealings, but they were turned down.
Sources:
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/180f0180f2e75253b11e16dc6cc9b8ff.htm
http://www.inform.Kazakhstan/, http://www.nytimes.com/,

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