Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ASTANA2098
2007-08-03 08:45:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Astana
Cable title:  

KAZAKHSTAN: ALMATY NOTES, JULY 2007

Tags:  PGOV PHUM KZ 
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VZCZCXRO0433
RR RUEHAST RUEHDBU
DE RUEHTA #2098 2150845
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 030845Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY ASTANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0259
INFO RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 1798
RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 8083
RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT 7989
RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 7213
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 2201
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 1458
RUEHAST/USOFFICE ALMATY
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 2227
UNCLAS ASTANA 002098 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: ALMATY NOTES, JULY 2007


UNCLAS ASTANA 002098

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: ALMATY NOTES, JULY 2007



1. The "Almaty Notes" series is intended to maintain focus on
developments in civil society, the media, and the opposition in
Kazakhstan's "southern capital" following the move of the Embassy to
Astana.

Government Reshuffle Expected after Elections
--------------


2. An Almaty political analyst, Andrey Chebotaryev, predicts a
government reshuffle after the Mazhilis (Parliament) elections.
According to Mr. Chebotaryev, Prime Minister Masimov may announce
the resignation of the government or the president himself may
initiate a reshuffle. Masimov would likely be reinstated in his
position. The candidates for resignation are Vice Prime Minister
and Minister of Economy Aslan Musin, Minister of Culture and
Information Yermukhamet Yertysbayev, Minister of Labor and Social
Protection Gulzhana Karagusova and Minister of Justice Zagipa
Baliyeva. They have been placed on the party list of Nur Otan to
take party seats in the Mazhilis. There are various reasons for the
expected moves; for example Aslan Musin has made slow progress on
administrative reform, Yetysbayev has been involved in conflicts
with mass media and journalists and Karagusova has been blamed for
poor social protection of some categories of Kazakhstanis and for
failure to fight poverty and unemployment. The other candidates for
resignation are the Interior Minister, Baurzhan Mukhamedzhanov, and
some oblast akims.

Nationalists demand Aliyev's Extradition
--------------


3. A group of representatives of the "Zheltoksan" nationalist
movement picketed the consulate of Austria in Almaty on July 20
demanding that Austria extradite Rakhat Aliyev. The protesters
handed over their demand in writing to a representative of the
consulate. (Interfax, July 20)

Hunger Strikes against Demolition
--------------


4. Six residents of an apartment building on Seyfullin Street in
Almaty went on hunger strike in protest against the planned
demolishment of the building. According to the protesters, the
compensation they have been offered is too low to buy apartments in
the central districts of the city. The conflict has lasted for a
year. A construction company, which wants to build a hotel on the
site, has bought all but three of the apartments. (Vremya daily,
July 19)


5. In the settlement of Karasu, located on the outskirts of Almaty
City, on July 23 ten local residents announced a hunger strike in
protest against the demolition of their houses. On July 6 this year
the city court in Almaty approved a plan to demolish 13 illegal
houses in this settlement. According to Dametken Alenova, who is
defending the owners of these houses, all 13 owners have permits
signed in 1998 by the former akim of the Zhetysu district. However,
the current deputy akim of the district asserts the lands have not
been legalized and the residents began to seize these lands only
last year. (www.kub.kz, July 27, 2007)

Almaty Police Fighting Drug Trafficking
--------------


6. In the past six months the police in Almaty have seized 170 kilos
of illegal narcotics, the press service of the city police reported
on July 19. Since the beginning of the year the city police have
conducted five operations and closed down several drug delivery
channels. Seven thousand drug addicts, most of them minors, are
registered with the city drug addict treatment center. (Liter
daily, July 20)

Illegal Migrants in Almaty
--------------


7. For the first half of this year the migration police in Almaty
reported 15,000 illegal migrants, mostly from Uzbekistan,
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Russia. According to the law, illegal
migrants should be deported and the migration police should impose a
ban on their travel to Kazakhstan for five years. According to the
Almaty Migration Police, illegal migration to Kazakhstan, including
Almaty, is rising. (Liter daily, July 24)

MILAS