Almaty, 6 November 1996 (RFE/RL) Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev continues a reshuffle of his government.
Yesterday, Nazarbayev signed a decree sacking deputy Prime Minister Nagashbay Shaykenov. Our correspondent in Almaty says Shaykenov may be appointed head of the Kazakh Law University, whose former head, Erkesh Nurpeyisov, had recently become a member of Upper House of Kazakh Parliament's Senate recently. Last week Nazarbayev had appointed new Defense and Industry and Trade Ministers.
Trade Union Members Barred From Open Government Meeting
Our correspondent in Almaty reports that representatives of two main Kazakh Trade Union organizations -- Trade Unions Ferderation and Free Trade Unions of Kazakhstan -- were barred from participating to a special open meeting of the Kazakh government with leaders of enterprises and plants. The meeting took place yesterday.
A trade union leader, Siyazbek Mukashev, was expelled from the government building where the meeting was held. Directors of some 500 Kazakh enterprises took part at the meeting. Some of them reportedly asked authorities to put under strict control all the opposition movements and parties in Kazakhstan, as well as the independent mass media.
Governor Charged For Abuse Of Powers
The governor of the Kazakh Jambyl region, Amalbek Tshanov, has been charged with abuse of powers. Our correspondent in Kazakhstan reports that a criminal case has been opened against Tshanov. He is accused of privatizing a three-storey house for an amount of money corresponding to one hundredth of the real value. He was also accused of embezzlement of funds from a state bank account to the account of a company led by his daughter.
Independent TV And Radio Programs Interrupted In Almaty
Our Almaty correspondent reports that two days ago all independent television and radio stations in the Kazakh capital abruptly stopped their programs. Transmissions were interrupted for one and a half days and are reported to be normal today.
Kazakh officials said frequencies used by independent television and radio stations were interfering with frequencies used by aircraft. A number of independent television stations have been functioning without problems in Almaty for the last four years.