Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05ALMATY2386
2005-06-26 03:10:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
US Office Almaty
Cable title:  

NGO LAW PASSED BY MAZHILIS STILL PROBLEMATIC; ASAR

Tags:  PGOV PREL KDEM PINR KZ POLITICAL 
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UNCLAS ALMATY 002386 

SIPDIS


SENSITIVE

STATE FOR EUR/CACEN (J. MUDGE) AND DRL/PHD (C. KUCHTA-
HELBLING)


E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM PINR KZ POLITICAL
SUBJECT: NGO LAW PASSED BY MAZHILIS STILL PROBLEMATIC; ASAR
LEADER AND FOREIGN MINISTER SPEAK OUT AGAINST IT

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED


REF: A) ALMATY 1838 B) ALMATY 1854

UNCLAS ALMATY 002386

SIPDIS


SENSITIVE

STATE FOR EUR/CACEN (J. MUDGE) AND DRL/PHD (C. KUCHTA-
HELBLING)


E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM PINR KZ POLITICAL
SUBJECT: NGO LAW PASSED BY MAZHILIS STILL PROBLEMATIC; ASAR
LEADER AND FOREIGN MINISTER SPEAK OUT AGAINST IT

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED


REF: A) ALMATY 1838 B) ALMATY 1854


1. (SBU) Summary: Informal OSCE analysis of draft NGO
legislation adopted by the Mazhilis (lower house of
Parliament) on June 10 provides clarification on changes
made during the parliamentary review process. Contrary to
previous media reports that certain restrictive parts of the
legislation would be dropped, the revised version of the
draft laws on NGOs appears to preserve earlier drafts'
provisions for tightened control by local authorities over
NGO activities and financing. Commentary and criticism
continue from politicians and stakeholders. Criticism by
First Daughter and Asar leader, Dariga Nazarbayeva, and
Foreign Minister Tokayev, suggests that senior leaders in
Astana could be setting the stage for the President to
withdraw or veto the legislation. End summary.

BACKGROUND ON NGO LAW PACKAGE
--------------


2. (U) As reported in reftels, the draft NGO legislation
consists of a new NGO law, "On the Activities of Branches
and Representative Offices of International or Foreign Non-
Commercial Organizations in the Republic of Kazakhstan,"
("NGO Law"),and a separate package of NGO amendments to
existing laws (collectively "NGO legislation"). After giving
some consideration to constitutional issues, the Mazhilis
passed the NGO legislation on June 15 and forwarded it to
the Senate for action. The date of the first Senate reading
has not yet been set, but consideration must take place
soon, since Parliament is scheduled to end its current
session on June 30.

THE NGO LEGISLATION AS IT STANDS
--------------


3. (SBU) According to the OSCE Center's informal analysis,
the scope of the NGO legislation has been expanded to cover
not only branches and representative offices of foreign NGOs
in Kazakhstan, but also local Kazakhstani NGOs which may
have branch offices outside the country. The ban on a
foreigner heading a local branch of an NGO based in
Kazakhstan was not dropped. In addition, Kazakhstani NGOs
are not allowed to have foreign citizens sit as board
members, even if those NGOs have branches in other

countries, or have "foreign participation."


4. (SBU) In response to criticism about insufficient
definition of "accreditation" requirements in earlier
drafts, the Mazhilis added language that gives the Ministry
of Justice a role in approving the substance of each NGO's
mission scope and programs. This procedure would be a
prerequisite for registration, an administrative process
that the MOJ is already performing under existing law. As
in previous drafts, an NGO failing to be accredited by the
MOJ would have its operations automatically terminated. In
addition, local NGOs must reveal sources of grants,
donations, and any other financing received from foreign
entities. Anonymous donations remain prohibited.


5. (SBU) Another addition by the Mazhilis to the
legislation is the inclusion of a requirement for all NGOs
to use only bank accounts held in Kazakhstani banks. The
OSCE Center noted that such a restriction, although having
some legitimate aims in terms of increasing transparency,
will be highly vulnerable to abuse given the likelihood that
domestic banks could be unable or unwilling to maintain
sufficient standards of confidentiality. Furthermore, as
had been stipulated in the original draft, the version
passed by the Mazhilis still would require all grants to
local NGOs from international organizations to be approved
by executive officials at the oblast level before allowing
the transfer of funds through the banks. (COMMENT: The NGO
legislation would put restrictions on international NGOs
similar to those adopted in Uzbekistan in 2003 that created
significant difficulties for local NGOs who received USG
assistance. END COMMENT)

WHO'S WEIGHING IN
--------------


6. (SBU) Criticism by local and international NGO groups
continues. On June 10, leaders of some local NGOs appealed

to the OSCE's chair-in-office, Slovenian Foreign Minister
Dimitrij Rupel, as well as to Christian Strohal, Director of
the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
(ODIHR) for assistance in turning back the NGO legislation.
Other domestic NGOs, however, including former recipients of
grants from international and foreign organizations, have
kept a low profile on this issue. One Post contact noted
that her fellow NGO leaders did not want to jeopardize their
chances to get future GOK funding for their projects.


7. (SBU) Although all Parliamentary debate takes place
behind closed doors, government leaders and parliamentarians
alike have commented publicly on the NGO legislation.
Comments by the MP drafters and Otan Party leadership have
been in favor of the NGO Law and NGO amendments, citing the
"destabilizing" effects of foreign involvement in civil
society. On the other side, the opposition has been equally
vocal in its criticism of the NGO legislation. Senator
Zauresh Battalova, elected as a member of the now-de-
registered party Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (DCK),and
currently the lone opposition figure in Parliament, has
issued statements against the NGO legislation in the media.
Opposition bloc "For a Just Kazakhstan" recently released a
statement that criticized the NGO legislation as
fundamentally restricting constitutional rights.


8. (SBU) Senior pro-presidential figures, however, have
also spoken out in recent days against the NGO legislation.
Dariga Nazarbayeva, daughter of President Nazarbayev and
leader of Asar Party, called for the complete withdrawal of
the legislation at a June 17 meeting of the National
Committee on Democratization and Civil Society (NKVD). On
June 20, Foreign Minister Tokayev met behind closed doors
with members of the Mazhilis Committee of International
Affairs, Defense and Security. After the meeting, Tokayev
released a statement to the media characterizing the NGO
legislation as running counter to Kazakhstan's international
commitments. Tokayev stated that the legislation could
affect operations of the United Nations, World Health
Organization, International Organization for Migration, and
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Noting that Kazakhstan aspired to the chairmanship of the
OSCE, Tokayev said that the NGO legislation appeared to be
inconsistent with this goal.

COMMENT
--------------


9. (SBU) Public criticism of the NGO legislation by
Nazarbayeva and Tokayev may be a signal that the stage is
being set for the President to withsdraw or veto the draft
NGO legislation. Like a previous draft NGO law in 2003 and
the draft Media law in 2004, the current draft NGO Law and
amendments have been heavily debated and criticized in
public forums. President Nazarbayev withdrew the previous
draft NGO law in October 2003. He then vetoed, to great
applause, the draft media law as unconstitutional in April
2004, while at the same time approving an elections law that
had been criticized as not meeting international standards.
The veto of the media law, in particular, overshadowed the
criticism of the elections law. Astana may be calculating
that it can relieve some international pressure by pursuing
a "split the difference" strategy-- killing the NGO
legislation but signing the equally troubling National
Security Amendments into law.


10. (U) Dushanbe minimize considered.

ORDWAY


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