KAZAKHSTAN: SENATE CHAIRMAN OFFERS TO CONSULT WITH THE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASTANA 002365 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ECON SOCI KDEM KZ SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: SENATE CHAIRMAN OFFERS TO CONSULT WITH THE AMBASSADOR ON MADRID-COMMITMENT LEGISLATION ¶1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet. ¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY: On November 26, Ambassador Hoagland met with Senate Chairman Kasym-Zhomart Tokayev. Tokayev told the Ambassador that the Senate's priorities are to pass a package of "Madrid" amendments now making their way through the Mazhelis (lower house of Parliament) and to assist the government in mitigating the impact of the economic downturn. He said his goal is to improve ties between the Kazakhstani Senate and the U.S. Congress and asked for our assistance in setting up meetings for his trip to the United States sometime next year. Regarding the recently passed religion law, Tokayev lamented that "the OSCE and Europe" criticized the law without realizing that it is far more liberal than similar laws in the region, and even in Europe. He contended that the legislation was guided by public pressure from the Muslim and Orthodox communities to fight against sects. Tokayev promised to get the Cooperative Threat Reduction legislation ratified quickly. In response to the Ambassador's question on elections, Tokayev said early elections were unlikely but "no one can be 100 percent sure." END SUMMARY. TOP PRIORITIES: MADRID, THE ECONOMY, IMPROVED TIES WITH THE UNITED STATES ¶3. (SBU) On November 26, the Ambassador met with Senate Chairman Kasym-Zhomart Tokayev to discuss the Senate's broad legislative goals. Tokayev congratulated the Ambassador on the "successful beginning" of his tenure in Kazakhstan, especially based on his interviews in the Kazakhstani press, which he said he followed closely. He noted that he has been following the U.S. election and is eagerly anticipating the naming of the new Secretary of State. ¶4. (SBU) Tokayev said his number-one focus is on the draft laws on the media, elections, and political parties that are making their way through the Mazhelis (the lower house of Parliament). He expressed hope that this meeting was the beginning of a "close and personal" relationship with the Ambassador that would allow for "close consultation on all pieces of legislation." "Please do not hesitate to voice your concerns," he underlined, stressing that he would appreciate hearing our view on all OSCE-related legislation. The Ambassador thanked Tokayev and suggested that the government �A;should allow civil society to review the laws in the Mazhelis' Public Chamber. Tokayev agreed with the suggestion, but he noted that this package of laws is a "big step forward" and added that he doesn't expect to hear many concerns from civil society. (COMMENT: Some civil society leaders are already expressing concern. END COMMENT.) ¶5. (SBU) The Senate's second top priority, according to Tokayev, is the economy. "These are tough times," he noted, reminding the Ambassador that Parliament had to renegotiate Kazakhstan's budget to adjust for falling oil prices. The Senate is determined to give the government necessary "freedom of movement," stressed Tokayev, "much like the Congress in the United States." ¶6. (SBU) Looking more long-term, Tokayev said his goal is to strengthen inter-Parliamentary ties between Kazakhstan and the United States. He shared his plans to organize several trips for Kazakhstani Senators to the United States "to explain Kazakhstan." He also expressed hope that more Congressional delegations would come to Kazakhstan. Tokayev told the Ambassador he plans to visit the United States next year and asked for our help scheduling appropriate meetings. The Ambassador asked him to keep us updated on his travel plans so we can fully assist him. RELIGION LAW "LIBERAL" COMPARED TO OTHERS ¶7. (SBU) Tokayev brought up Kazakhstan's religion legislation, which the Parliament passed on November 26 (septel). He lamented that "many in Europe and the OSCE" are criticizing Kazakhstan without fully understanding the legislation. The law is "much more liberal" than similar legislation in Russia and Kyrgyzstan, he maintained, and many of the new provisions are more liberal than even those found in some European religion laws. Tokayev told the Ambassador that he plans to attend OSCE's Parliamentary Assembly session in February in part to publicize Kazakhstan's Path to Europe program, and to "assuage the concerns and confusion" about the ASTANA 00002365 002 OF 002 religion legislation. ¶8. (SBU) The Ambassador noted that civil society and OSCE's Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights were concerned about how the new law would treat small, "non-traditional" faiths. Tokayev countered by saying the government "is under pressure from public opinion to counter the influence of sects." (NOTE: While Tokayev is correct that most people want the government to do something about "sects," civil society leaders maintain that this view is fueled largely by the broad media campaign that paints many non-traditional faiths as "dangerous sects." END NOTE.) He maintained that "there are those" in the Russian Orthodox establishment who believe that only Islam and Russian Orthodoxy should be allowed in Kazakhstan and even oppose Catholicism and Judaism. He confided to the Ambassador that, in his view, the government should "provide more liberties for non-traditional faiths," but repeated that the legislation is more liberal than those in other countries. Kazakhstan's legislation requires only 50 members to register as a religious organization, he underlined, while Spain requires 1,000 and Kyrgyzstan is considering imposing a minimum of 200. In answer to the Ambassador's question on whether the President might send the law to the Constitutional Court before signing, Tokayev said it would be a "good idea" but he did not know whether there were any plans to do so and made no commitments. CTR WILL MOVE THROUGH THE SENATE QUICKLY ¶9. (SBU) Tokayev said the Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) Amendment was still undergoing intergovernmental review and had not yet arrived at the Parliament. He promised to expedite it once it passes the Mazhelis and comes to the Senate. The Ambassador encouraged final ratification before the 15th anniversary of the CTR on December 13. "NO REASON" FOR EARLY ELECTIONS ¶10. (SBU) The Ambassador asked Tokayev about persistent rumors that the President will call early elections after the new political party and election laws are passed. Tokayev denied the possibility, saying the President "sees no reason" to have them before 2012, but added the caveat that "no one can be 100 percent sure, of course." HOAGLAND