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Wednesday, March 19, 2008 Volume 12 Number 54
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Transcaucasia And Central Asia
ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARIAN PROPOSES WAYS TO RESOLVE CRISISViktor Dallakian, who quit the opposition Artarutiun (Justice) bloc in 2006 and was reelected to parliament last year as an independent lawmaker, advocated on March 18 measures intended to defuse the inner political tensions resulting from the police crackdown on March 1 on supporters of former President Levon Ter-Petrossian, Noyan Tapan reported. Dallakian suggested that President-elect Serzh Sarkisian grant an amnesty to those who were "simply expressing their political views," but did not participate directly in the violence. He further advocated lifting the longstanding ban on the independent A1+ television channel and granting the opposition access to national television; establishing a new political council headed by the president, on which both the parliamentary and the extraparliamentary opposition would be represented; passing a law on creating a Public Chamber; and amending the election law to introduce a 100 percent proportional system and to ensure the proportional representation on election commissions of the authorities and the opposition, in preparation for holding preterm parliamentary elections. Finally, Dallakian suggested that concurrently with those preterm elections a referendum should be held introducing elections for the post of regional governor (currently named by the president), and on transforming Armenia into a parliamentary republic whose government would be formed on the basis of parliamentary election results, and in which the parliament would elect the president. LF ARMENIAN EX-PRESIDENT DEPLORES RESTRICTIONS ON PUBLIC PROTESTS Ter-Petrossian's office on March 18 released a statement branding the amendments to the law on public gatherings enacted by the parliament the previous day a blatant violation of the constitution and an attempt to prolong the restrictions imposed under the state of emergency imposed on March 1 and which expires on March 21, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," March 18, 2008). Ter-Petrossian aide Levon Zurabian argued that "in these circumstances, it is the people's legitimate right to ignore the illegal ban and reaffirm their freedom, which is guaranteed by the constitution and international law, to hold rallies." Outgoing President Robert Kocharian signed the amendments into law earlier on March 18. Also on March 18, Ter-Petrossian spokesman Armen Khachtrian told RFE/RL's Armenian Service that several more members of Ter-Petrossian's election campaign staff, including two senior members of the People's Party of Armenia that backed his presidential bid, have been detained for questioning. Prosecutor-General's Office spokeswoman Sonia Truzian declined on March 18 to confirm that information, saying only that a total of 109 opposition supporters have been arrested since March 1, of whom 106 have been formally charged. LF AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT PARDONS OVER 50 PRISONERS Ilham Aliyev signed on March 18 a decree pardoning 59 prisoners, day.az and zerkalo.az reported. They do not include journalists Eynulla Fatullayev, Qanimat Zaxid, and Mirza Sakit, or several people considered political prisoners, including Rasim Tagiyev; Asif Guseinov; former special police officers Nariman Ismanov and Etibar Allakhverdiyev; and opposition politician Qadir Musayev. LF GEORGIAN PRESIDENT SUGGESTS FURTHER CHANGES IN NEW PARLIAMENT... Speaking on March 18 in New York, Mikheil Saakashvili suggested that the number of deputies in the new Georgian parliament could be increased from 150 to 175 or even 185, of whom 100 or 110 could be elected under the proportional, party-list system, civil.ge reported. He indicated that the parliamentary ballot will probably be scheduled for May 21. The present parliament voted last week to reduce the number of lawmakers from the current 235 to 150, of whom 75 would be elected under the proportional system and the remaining 75 in single mandate constituencies, an arrangement that the opposition has denounced as violating an agreement reached last month with parliament speaker Nino Burjanadze (see "RFE/RL Caucasus Report," March 16, 2008, and "RFE/RL Newsline," March 17 and 18, 2008). Also on March 18, the Republican Party proposed that the 75 majoritarian deputies be elected in multimandate constituencies, as the opposition originally called for, Caucasus Press reported. On March 19, civil.ge quoted Republican leader David Usupashvili as saying he met late the previous evening with Burjanadze, who assured him the authorities "will consider" that proposal. LF ...HINTS AT NEW ABKHAZ PEACE PROPOSAL President Saakashvili told journalists in New York on March 18 after meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that Tbilisi wants a total revision of the peacekeeping format in the Abkhaz conflict zone, civil.ge reported. Saakashvili said the UN Observer Mission (UNOMIG) "has failed to fulfill its duties," while there are no longer any legal grounds for the CIS peacekeeping force to remain there in the wake of Russia's decision to lift the economic sanctions imposed by the CIS on Abkhazia in January 1996 (see "RFE/RL Newsline," March 7, 2008). The quarterly reports by the UN secretary-general to the UN Security Council invariably stress the productive cooperation between UNOMIG and the CIS peacekeeping force, and frequently acknowledge logistical help provided by the latter to the former. Saakashvili, who on March 15 ruled out signing a formal pact on the non-use of military force against Abkhazia or South Ossetia, said Tbilisi will propose within the next few days new initiatives for resolving the Abkhaz conflict that are "very peaceful," and that he expects a resumption of dialogue "on all issues" with the Abkhaz side. Also on March 18, Stanislav Lakoba, National Security Council Chairman of the unrecognized republic of Abkhazia, demonstrated to journalists in Sukhum(i) what were said to be fragments of Georgian pilotless spy plane shot down earlier that day over Abkhaz territory, Caucasus Press and kavkaz-uzel.ru reported. The drone was said to have been manufactured by the Israeli firm Elbit-Systems and to carry the identification number 551. The Georgian Defense Ministry admitted on March 18 that it has pilotless aircraft, but denied that any have been shot down, civil.ge reported. LF KAZAKH OMBUDSMAN, SUPREME COURT CHAIRMAN AGREE TO COOPERATE Kazakh human rights ombudsman Askar Shakirov and Supreme Court Chief Justice Kairat Mami on March 18 signed a memorandum on cooperation, Kazinform reported. Speaking to reporters following the signing, Mami hailed the agreement as enabling further cooperation in "protecting human rights and freedoms" based on the principle of the independence of the judiciary. For his part, Shakirov noted that the agreement is "the first document of its kind" and stressed that it is "aimed primarily at ensuring effective judicial protection of citizens' rights." In September 2007, Shakirov became the country's human rights ombudsman (see "RFE/RL Newsline," September 25, 2007), a position that is officially empowered to monitor the observance of human rights nationwide, but is barred from any "interference with the work of either the police or the judicial system" (see "RFE/RL Newsline," September 20, 2002). RG U.S. OFFICIAL URGES KYRGYZSTAN TO PUBLISH RESULTS FROM DECEMBER PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS At a press conference in Bishkek, Pamela Spratlen, the director for Central Asia at the U.S. State Department, expressed concern on March 18 over "shortcomings" in the December 2007 parliamentary elections and urged Kyrgyz officials to publish the official results, AKIpress reported. Spratlen added that the United States is also concerned over the recent constitutional referendum, but noted that the recent agreement providing Kyrgyzstan with nearly $16 million in aid as part of the two-year U.S. Millennium Challenge Account aid program (see "RFE/RL Newsline," March 17, 2008) reflects an assessment that the Kyrgyz government is committed to advancing political and economic reforms. Visiting Kyrgyzstan as part of a regular series of bilateral consultations with the Foreign Ministry, Spratlen also stressed that bilateral cooperation will continue to focus on implementing reforms of the electoral system and bolstering independent media and civil society. RG RUSSIAN DELEGATION MEETS WITH SENIOR TURKMEN OFFICIALS A Russian delegation led by the governor of Astrakhan Oblast, Aleksandr Zhilkin, met on March 18 with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov in Ashgabat and signed an agreement on trade and economic cooperation, according to ITAR-TASS and Turkmen Television. The delegation, consisting of a group of 20 leading businessmen, also concluded an agreement on scientific and cultural cooperation, before holding detailed talks on the need for greater cooperation in cargo transportation and shipbuilding in the Caspian Sea. Reflecting the significance of Astrakhan as a key Russian port on the Caspian, an official from Russia's Guzhvin shipbuilding and vessel-repairing facility also opened negotiations to expand a current contract for the repair of two Turkmen dry-cargo ships. RG TURKMENISTAN SIMPLIFIES LAWS ON VISAS FOR BUSINESSMEN Turkmen President Berdymukhammedov signed on March 18 a decree amending the Tax Code and laws on foreign investment, including a new measure simplifying the visa requirements for foreign businessmen, ITAR-TASS reported. In an announcement accompanying the signing, Berdymukhammedov explained that the new laws would help to eliminate "unnecessary administrative barriers in licensing," and ease the "registration processes and concession activities" in order to "attract large amounts of foreign investments into the economy." He also said that the amendments to the laws on foreign investment are particularly important, noting that the previous laws were not significantly modified since their introduction in 1992. On March 17, Berdymukhammedov established a new group, the Association of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, aimed at boosting the country's emerging private sector, according to the Turkmen government's website, turkmenistan.gov.tm. RG UZBEK PARLIAMENT ADOPTS TRAFFICKING LAW The Uzbek parliament voted on March 13 to adopt a new law aimed at combating human trafficking, AKIpress reported on 18. According to an official press release issued by the Uzbek government, the new law will serve as a "reliable legal base for the prevention of human trafficking" and help to bolster the state effort to "fight the illegal exploitation, migration, and trade of human beings," according to the Jahon news agency. The press release also claimed that Uzbek law enforcement agencies have investigated over 1,000 reports from victims of human trafficking over the past three years, resulting in the formal initiation of over 700 criminal cases. RG
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