09/21/2002
EDITORIAL NUMBER=0-10142

UNDEMOCRATIC TRENDS IN KAZAKHSTAN

Respect for human rights is an essential part of fighting terrorism and ensuring stability in Central Asia. From the beginning of the war against al-Qaida and other terrorists, the United States has made it clear that security cannot be achieved without political and economic reform. And neither of these is possible without respect for human rights.

In this context, recent events in Kazakhstan are very disturbing. Kazakhstan has seen corruption trials and convictions of political leaders. Mass media outlets are being harassed for reporting on opposition activities and the alleged financial improprieties of senior Kazakhstan officials.

Independent journalist Sergey Duvanov is a case in point. On August 28^th, Duvanov was beaten by three unknown assailants outside his apartment in Almaty, the Kazakhstan capital. A well-established journalist who has filed stories criticizing official corruption, Duvanov is currently under investigation for supposedly "insulting the honor and dignity of the president," a charge that allows the government to arrest anybody who ever utters a word of criticism.

Rooting out corruption is essential to establishing good governance and the rule of law. But governments should not use accusations of corruption as a means to pursue political opponents. That appears to be the objective of the Kazakhstan government’s selectively targeting for prosecution members of the political opposition. One such case involves the two founders of the Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan movement, Galymzhan [gah-leem-ZHAN] Zhkiyanov [zha-kee-YAHN-ov] and Mukhtar [moock-TAHR] Ablyazov [ab-lee-YAH-zov].

In another move, the Kazakhstan legislature enacted a law that makes it more difficult for political parties to register. The minimum number party members need for registration was raised from three-thousand to fifty-thousand. As a result, many of Kazakhstan’s existing opposition parties could be disqualified from participating in the political process.

Respect for the right of all Kazakhstanis to participate in democratic elections is fundamental to country’s stability. Now is time for the government of Kazakhstan to reverse its undemocratic trend and dedicate itself to protecting and advancing the principles of political pluralism, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press.