9 October 2002
PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF ELECTIONS TO UPPER CHAMBER OF KAZAKH PARLIAMENT ANNOUNCED
Quandyq Turghanqulov, who is deputy chairman of Kazakhstan's Central Election Commission, told RFE/RL on 9 October that the final results of the 8 October election to the Senate (the upper chamber of Kazakhstan's parliament) will be announced by October 15. Under the Kazakh Constitution, 16 senators are elected every three years for a six year term by the councils of the country's 14 oblasts and of the cities of Astana and Almaty. The remaining seven of the total 39 senators are usually appointed by directly by the president. According to the Central Election Commission, the following persons were elected on 8 October.
1. Aqmola Oblast - Marat Qoyshybayev
2. Aqtobe Oblast - Eleusin Saghyndyqov
3. Almaty Oblast - Zhomartqaliy Zheksenbinov
4. Atyrau Oblast - Zhandarbek Kakishev
5. East Kazakhstan - Alexander Gusinskii
6. Zhambyl Oblast - Shamsat Isabekov
7. West Kazkahstan - Qabdyghaliy Akhmetov
8. Qaraghandy Oblast-Yurii Kubaychuk
9. Qostanay Oblast - Beksultan Tutqyshev
10. Qyzyl-Orda Oblast - Ongalbek Sapiev
11. Manghystau Oblast - Leonid Burlakov
12. Pavlodar Oblast - Ermek Zhumabayev
13. North Kazakhstan - Anatolii Bashmakov
14. South Kazakhstan - Orynbay Rakhmanberdiev
15. Astana - Farid Galimov
16. Almaty - Zhumabek Toregeldinov.
PROSECUTOR GENERAL'S DETAILS CONDITIONS FACED BY MUKHTAR ABLIYAZOV AND GHALYMZHAN ZHAQIYANOV
Petr Pasnakov of Kazakhstan's General Prosecutor's Office held press conference in Astana on 9 October at which he told journalists that neither Ghalymzhan Zhaqiyanov nor Mukhtar Abliyazov face any humiliation or human rights abuse in the labor camps where they are serving their respective sentences. Abliyazov and Zhaqiyanov were cofounders of the opposition movement democratic Choice for Kazakhstan (DVK). Democratic Choice movement. Abliyazov is a former Minister of Trade and Industry, and Zhaqiyanov a former governor of Pavlodar Oblast. They were found guilty earlier this year of abuse of power and financial crimes and sentenced to six and seven years imprisonment respectively.
Pasnakov said that Abliyazov is serving his term in a labor camp situated near the town of Granitniy in Kokshetau Oblast. North Kazakhstan, where the first couple of weeks after his arrival, he worked at the camp library. Then he was moved to a sewing shop in the camp's factory and works there as a package worker. Zhaqiyanov is serving his seven-year term in a labor camp in Qostanay Oblast. Currently he is unemployed.
"Since their arrival in the labor camps," Pasnakov said, "their lawyers visited them eight times, and deputies of Kazakhstan's Parliament visited them seven times." Pasnakov also said that parliament deputy Tolen Toqtasynov, who was allowed to enter the labor camp, attempted to pass a mobile phone to Abliyazov with the help of a camp inmate.
WHEREABOUTS OF TEMIRTAS TLEULESOV AND AIDAR ABDRAMANOV ARE UNKNOWN
Relatives and colleagues of two political activists, Temirtas Tleulesov and Aidar Abdramanov, have expressed their concerns about their whereabouts. Tleulesov is author of two books, "Shymkentskaya Mafiya" and "Ordaly Zhylan", in which he revealed instances of corruption and organized crime among top officials in South Kazakhstan Oblast. He was tried at Shymkent City Court in absentia and sentenced to two years of jail a couple of years ago. Since then, Tleulesov has been in hiding from the Kazakh authorities, but kept in contact with his relatives. His brother Mekemtas told RFE/RL on 9 October that the contact with Temirtas ended several months ago and his present whereabouts are unknown.
Abdramanov, a resident of the village of Baghys in South Kazakhstan Oblast, was proclaimed President of the self-proclaimed independent Kazakh Republic of Baghys in late December 2001 in a desperate attempt by the local population to focus the attention of the Uzbek and Kazakh Presidents on the problem of delimitating the Kazakh-Uzbek border. Abdramanov met recently with Kazakh Premier Imanghaliy Tasmaghambetov His relatives say that they do not know about his current whereabouts.