08/23/2002
EDITORIAL NUMBER=0-10084

OPPOSITION HARASSED IN KAZAKHSTAN

Hopes for democratic change have suffered another setback in Kazakhstan. Galymzhan [gah-leem-ZHAN] Zhakiyanov [zha-kee-YAHN-ov], political opposition leader and critic of President Nursultan Nazarbayev, was sentenced to seven years in prison for alleged abuse of office while governor of a northern region. The trial appears to have been yet another effort by the Kazakh government to suppress political dissent.

Galymzhan Zhakiyanov co-founded the Democratic Choice for Kazakhstan movement last November. It seeks to promote democracy and free enterprise. Defense attorneys for Mr. Zhakiayanov said they will appeal the sentence. Zhakiayonov has called his trial an act of political revenge staged by President Nazarbayev in an attempt to stifle growing dissent in Kazakhstan.

The government’s latest actions do seem to be part of a pattern. Last month, co-founder of the Democratic Choice for Kazakhstan movement and former energy minister Mukhtar [moock-TAR] Ablyazov [ab-lee-YAH-zov] was sentenced to six years in prison on charges of corruption. In addition, the government has used the courts to intimidate journalists who have reported on political opposition activities and alleged financial improprieties of senior Kazakhstani officials.

It is encouraging that the opposition party Ak Zhol [ahk-zhol, "clean road"] has announced plans to open two newspapers. One, called "Epokha" [eh-pawk-HAH, "epoch"], distributed an initial print run of ten-thousand copies. Ak Zhol’s determination shows that at least some Kazakhstanis are not willing to let government actions deter them from participating in the political process.

Such participation will be harder under a new law that makes it more difficult for political parties to register. The minimum number of party members needed for registration was raised from three-thousand to fifty-thousand. The law also requires that a party be dissolved if it fails to win seats in parliament in consecutive elections. All political parties must re-register under the new law. As a result, many of Kazakhstan’s existing parties could be disqualified from participating in the political process.

The new electoral legislation and ongoing harassment of the opposition and the independent media pose a grave threat to Kazakhstan’s future prospects. It is up to the government of President Nazarbayev to dedicate itself to advancing political pluralism, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press. As U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said, "If we are really going to prevail over terrorism. . .we have to do it in a way that respects human dignity and the rights of men and women."