Voice of Democracy
Published by Kazakhstan 21st Century Foundation · Washington, D.C. ·Oct. 30, 2003

KAZAKH CREDIBILITY SERIOUSLY DAMAGED – President Nazarbayev toured Canada in June to tell all who'd listen that Kazakhstan is open for business, but recent developments "seem to be pointing in a different direction," reports the Globe and Mail. At issue is the Kazakh decision to expropriate, without prior notice, what it brands "monopoly profit" from the refining operations of the Canadian oil company, PetroKazakhstan Inc. The company was accused of overcharging for refined products, the paper reports. As a result, writes Deborah Yedlin, "foreign companies already operating in Kazakhstan or contemplating such a move might be feeling a bit uneasy." Rampant political corruption, a new breed of anti-capitalist bureaucrats and the absence of the rule of law are major factors in countries like Kazakhstan, observed the Financial Post. The Canadian company has encountered a enough "obstacles" doing business in Kazakhstan – "a country still learning the rules of engagement in a free-market economy" -- that it couldn't be blamed if it decided to pull out of the country, it noted. "If the Kazakhstani government is truly interested in establishing a fully functioning, free-market economy, the first lesson to be learned is that markets operate efficiently only when there is a high degree of confidence and transparency," Yedlin wrote. http://www.globeandmail.com/, http://www.nationalpost.com/financialpost/

AN UNAPPEALING LEGAL SYSTEM -- Lawyers representing imprisoned Kazakh journalist Sergei Duvanov report the country's highest court has turned down their client's appeal. It is not very surprising in light of the fact that President Nazarbayev declared the journalist guilty well in advance of his trial, and there is no judicial independence in Kazakhstan. Nonetheless, the lawyers had filed a complaint with the Supreme Court nearly three months ago, citing a lack of due process and numerous legal violations in the investigation and the trial. Duvanov, a human rights activist, was convicted of raping a minor girl, charges widely considered to be fabricated, a politically motivated attempt in retaliation for exposes he wrote about high level corruption. The regional court that tried Duvanov refused him the right to appeal, saying it saw no need for it, reported Interfax. That court's conduct led Lorne Craner, the assistant secretary of state for human rights, to tell the U.S. Congress recently that Duvanov's trial was "fraught with procedural violations," and he noted that Dutch experts who were there reported "a lack of evidence to support Duvanov's conviction, raising serious questions about the motivation behind his trial." http://www.interfax-news.com/, http://www.csce.gov

SMILES FOR JEWS, VOTES FOR SYRIA – President Nazarbayev may be courting wealthy Jewish leaders and the Israelis, but when it comes time to vote, he lines up with Israel's arch enemy Syria to condemn the Jewish state for attacking the training camp of terrorists who claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Haifa that killed more than 20 Israelis, including five Israeli Arabs. Nazarbayev recently had a photo op with visitors representing a number of American and international Jewish organizations, but he has voted repeatedly at the United Nations to condemn Israeli actions in its war on terror. The Syrian government boasted of Nazarbayev's support. That was backed up by Kazakh TV, which quoted the Kazakh Senate speaker as calling for closer cooperation with Syria "in all strategic areas." The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) proudly announced, "Kazakhstan Foreign Minister, Kasymzhomart Toqaev has expressed support to Syria's proposal regarding the condemnation of the Israeli aggression on her lands, describing the Syrian proposal as very important." The Kazakh-backed Syrian resolution was blocked by the United States because it refused to condemn by name the terror group that took credit for the suicide bombing. http://www.oananews.com/, http://www.sana.org/, http://www.khabar.Kz/

For the full stories, see the web citations above or contact us at News@Kazakhstan21.org or see VOD Archives [http://iicas.org/english/enlibrary/libr_16_03_01kp.htm]. The Kazakhstan 21st Century Foundation promotes democracy and human rights in Kazakhstan through public affairs and educational programs in the United States and Europe. This material is distributed by Kazakhstan 21st Century Foundation.

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