31 August 1999
REGISTRATION OF MAZHLIS CANDIDATES PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS.
Correspondents of RFE/RL quote Kazakh Central Election Commission as reporting that August 31 is THE deadline for applications to the Kazakh Parliament's Lower House � Mazhilis. Meanwhile, the registration process is expected to last till September 9. Until now, the Democratic Azamat Party, the National Congress Party, and the Orleu Party have been officially registered at the Central Election Commission for the Parliamentary elections. Members of 6 more parties, namely Otan Party, Civil Party, Agrarian Party, Communist Party, Republican People's Party and Republican Labor Party, will receive their registration certificates this week.
August 31 is also the deadline for registration to local Councils (Maslikhats). In all, 14 regions and 2 cities (Almaty and Astana) have Councils. Until now 4,284 candidates have been registered to the Maslikhats.
KAZAKH CABINET HELD SESSION ON STATE BUDGET FOR 2000.
Kazakh Premier Nurlan Balghymbayev chaired a session of the Kazakh Cabinet on August 31, at which the state budget for the year 2000 was discussed. It was mentioned at the session that last year's experience - when the world financial and economic crisis had forced the Kazakh government to amend the state budget for 1999 several times - had to be taken into account during discussions of state treasury allocations for the next fiscal year.
KAZAKHOIL PREPARING FOR CELEBRATIONS OF THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE KAZAKH OIL INDUSTRY.
Correspondents of RFE/RL report that acting president of the KazakhOil State Company Uzaqbay Qarabalin told journalists on 31 August that his company was going to raise 17 western-style gasoline stations in Kazakhstan in the nearest future, adding that the first such a station would be opened in Atyrau city this week during celebrations of the 100th anniversary of Kazakh oil. Mr. Qarabalin stressed that the new gasoline stations of the KazakhOil company would be selling only Kazakh-made petroleum. An official close to the Kazakh government told RFE/RL correspondents that the Kazakh State Treasury allocated $15 million for marking the anniversary of the Kazakh Oil Industry.
SOROS - KAZAKHSTAN FOUNDATION MET DIRECTORS OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF ASTANA.
On August 31 the Kazakh Ministry of Health Protection, Education and Sports organized a meeting of the Soros�Kazakhstan Foundation with directors of several secondary schools of the Kazakh capital. Chief of the Soros�Kazakhstan Foundation George Zarubin handed 20 different Kazakh textbooks to the directors. All the textbooks have been published through programs of the Soros-Kazakhstan Foundation.
WORKERS OF TURKISH CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES LEAVING ASTANA FOR TURKEY.
Turkish workers are leaving the Kazakh capital en masse in order to visit their relatives in the earthquake affected areas of Western Turkey. Such Turkish Construction companies as Okan�Holding, Fintrako, Ceyhan and others are working currently in the young capital of Kazakhstan. Only Okan�Holding Company lost 123 Turkish employees who went to their native towns destroyed by the earthquake. Their Kazakh colleagues working for the same company started a fund raising campaign in order to help the Turkish workers financially.
CONSTITUTION DAY MARKED IN THE FORMER CAPITAL.
Correspondents of RFE/RL report that pensioners and elderly people of the former Kazakh capital gathered in the central square of Almaty on August 30 for their usual monthly action of protest they organize in the end of each month. The day of the action coincided with Constitution Day of Kazakhstan, and some politicians showed up in the Central Square of Almaty as well. Such leaders of different opposition movements and parties as Madel Ismailov (Workers Movement), Seydakhmet Quttyqadam (Orleu Party), Ghaniy Qasymov (former Chief of the Kazakh Customs Committee, now a candidate to Kazakh Parliament) and many others were at the square advertising themselves and some of them calling upon Almaty citizens not to vote for Otan Party, which is known as a pro-Nazarbayev political party.
Ghaniy Qasymov, who has also unsuccessfully tried to become a candidate in the Presidential elections held last January, organized free attendance to the amusement park for children in the Auezov District of the former Kazakh capital and distributed his pictures and leaflets among the children and their parents.
Elections to Parliament's Upper House � Senate, will take place on September 17, to the Lower House � Mazhilis, on October 10 this year.
CELEBRATIONS OF MINERS' DAY IN QARAGHANDY ENDED TRAGICALLY.
Correspondents of RFE/RL quote local news agencies and the Kazakh Interior Ministry as reporting that celebrations of Miners' Day and Qaraghandy City's 65th anniversary (Central Kazakhstan) last Sunday ended tragically. About 20,000 people gathered in Qaraghandy City's Central Square at 11:00 PM to enjoy the fireworks, when suddenly one of the firework cartridges exploded on the ground killing two and hurting 54 people. Four of the injured are reported to be in grave condition.
KAZAKHSTAN ATYRAU CITY TO MARK THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE KAZAKH OIL INDUSTRY THIS WEEK.
Kazakh Premier Nurlan Balghymbayev and some other top officials of Kazakhstan are scheduled to come to Atyrau City, Western Kazakhstan this week in order to participate in celebrations devoted to the 100th anniversary of the Kazakh oil industry. The celebrations will start on September 2 and will end on September 4. Governor of Western Kazakhstan Oblast - Imanghaliy Tasmaghambetov told journalists on August 31 that about $7,5 million will be spent on the celebrations, adding that the sum would be provided by private resources not by the state treasury.
SOME NEW DETAILS ON THE KAZAKH MILITARY JETS SOLD TO NORTH KOREA.
Correspondents of RFE/RL quote NTV television channel as reporting that some new details in the story on the Kazakh MiG�21 military jets that were sold to North Korea were revealed this week. Some unknown sources informed independent journalists of Kazakhstan that about 30 MiG�21 military jets had been sold to North Korea by a private joint venture led by Kazakhstani businessman Alexander Petrenko. No more details are available. The only additional detail is about Mr. Petrenko"s former activities on weapons sales. It was reported that he and an American businessman, formerly a citizen of Uzbekistan, Oleg Orlov had tried before to sell some more weapons of different types to third countries.