Tag Archives: government

Uzbekistan’s President Mirziyoyev sacks rival Azimov as deputy PM

TASHKENT, JUNE 6 2017 (The Bulletin) — Uzbek president Shavkat Mirziyoyev sacked deputy PM Rustam Azimov from his government, showing his ruthlessness in undermining potential rivals .

Mr Azimov had at one time been talked of as a potential successor for Islam Karimov, who ruled Uzbekistan since independence from the Soviet Union until his death in September 2016. His ambitions were undone, however, by the rise of Mr Mirziyoyev who had been PM under Karimov. Mr Azimov had been economy minister but was downgraded to foreign investment minister in December.

Local media reported, quoting government sources, that Azimov would now head the Export-Import Insurance company, a major demotion. He was to be replaced by as deputy PM by the relatively unknown deputy finance minister Jamshid Kuchkarov.

Immediately after the death of Karimov, Azimov had been considered one of the three most powerful people in Uzbekistan, alongside Mr Mirziyoyev and security chief Rustam Inoyatov. His demotion marks a victory for Mr Mirziyoyev who was always wary of his rival.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 332, published on June 12 2017)

Uzbek Parliament approves new CB chief

Leave a Reply

JUNE 6 2017 (The Bulletin) — Uzbekistan’s parliament approved the relatively unknown Mamarizo Nurmuratov as the new Central Bank chairman. He had been chairman of the Senate’s budget and economic reforms committee. His appointment, as a replacement for Faizulla Mullajanov who died after 26 years in the post, highlights the relative junior nature of the Central Bank chief in Uzbekistan.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 332, published on June 12 2017)

Turkmen President sacks Supreme Court chief

Leave a Reply

JUNE 2 2017 (The Bulletin) — Turkmen President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov sacked the head of the Supreme Court, Begench Charyev, just the latest in a string of high-profile sackings that he has made this year. State-owned media did not give a reason for Mr Charyev’s sacking. He had been head of the Supreme Court since September 2013. Gylychmyrat Halliyev director of the Turkmen National Institute for Democracy and Human Rights was appointed the new Supreme Court chief.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 331, published on June 5 2017)

Comment: A quick week in Kazakhstan

Leave a Reply

ASTANA/ALMATY, MAY 28 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Gripes about the economy dominated my week in Astana and Almaty. Not gripes from officials but gripes from ordinary Kazakhs who are feeling the pinch.

Still, Astana and Almaty felt upbeat.

Astana was busy putting the final touches on EXPO-2017, an event it has been building towards for several years. It’s with brash civic pride that people living in Astana tell you that the world is going to visit their city this summer. We shall see.

Not that I could have a look around EXPO-2017 when I was there. They weren’t ready yet for visitors, including journalists, despite advertising that the media centre and accreditation desks were open for business.

If Astana was full of brash pride about the multi-billion-dollar government-funded EXPO-2017, Almaty’s pride lies in its more sanguine nature. I arrived off the overnight train from Astana. After a few days of interviews in Astana I was ready to see friends and the Bulletin’s correspondent in Almaty.

And May is a perfect time to visit Kazakhstan’s former capital. It’s warm, but not too hot, and the trees and flowers are blooming. The warmer air has also lifted the smog, giving visitors’ glimpses of Almaty’s regal snow-capped mountains.

Almaty oozes a breezy, louche confidence whereas Astana seems to crave attention and praise.

Astana grabs the headlines and improves with every visit I make. Almaty, though, has always had it and always will. And it knows this too.

By James Kilner, Editor, The Conway Bulletin

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 330, published on May 28 2017)

Kyrgyz PM to run for presidency

Leave a Reply

BISHKEK, MAY 18 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — The ruling Social Democratic party picked current PM Sooronbai Jeenbekov to be its candidate in a presidential election in Kyrgyzstan later this year, a decision that an analyst said confirmed the government’s pro-Russia bent.

Parliament also voted to move forward the presidential election date to Oct. 15 from Nov. 19.

A Central Asian political analyst said that the appointment of Mr Jeenbekov as the Social Democrat’s candidate showed that the party was increasingly in hoc to the Kremlin.

“He’s considered soft on Russia,” the analyst said, asking not to be named. “The Social Democrats nearly appointed a pro-Western candidate but it looks like the Kremlin intervened and they have now gone for Russia’s man.”

Rumors prior to Mr Jeenbekov being given the candidature had suggested that President Almazbek Atambayev’s chief of staff, Sapar Issakov, would be the likely candidate. He is considered pro-Western.

Mr Atambayev is stepping down after a single term in office, as stipulated by the constitution.

His detractors, though have said that he may be lining himself up to become PM at an election scheduled for next year. The Kyrgyz constitution is being changed to shift power from the president to the PM’s office.

As the Social Democrats’ candidate, Mr Jeenbekov is now the front- runner to succeed Mr Atambayev.

But it’s likely to be a competitive and tightly-fought election, and not a foregone conclusion, in what is considered Central Asia’s most vibrant democracy. Former PMs Temir Sariyev and Omurbek Babanov have also said that they will compete in the election.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 329, published on May 20 2017)

Domestic violence law in Kyrgyzstan becomes strengthened

Leave a Reply

APRIL 28 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev signed into law a bill that is designed to strengthen legislation against domestic violence. The new law obliges police to investigate all reports of domestic violence even if the complaint was not filed by the victim.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 327, published on May 5 2017)

Convicted terrorists in Kazakhstan to lose citizenship

Leave a Reply

APRIL 25 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Kazakh MPs passed into law a bill that will strip people convicted of terrorism of their citizenship. Kazakhstan and the rest of Central Asia have been fighting to dampen a flow of recruits to the extremist IS group over the past few years. The main suspects behind an attack in Istanbul and St Petersburg this year were from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 326, published on April 28 2017)

Uzbek president sacks privatisation head

Leave a Reply

APRIL 14 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Uzbek president Shavkat Mirziyoyev fired the head of the government’s privatisation committee, Davron Hidoyatov, shortly after criticising him for not attracting enough foreign investment. The sacking of Mr Hidoyatov is part of Mr Mirziyoyev’s drive to freshen up his government’s approach to pulling in foreign investment. Mr Hidoyatov had been given the job in December 2014 by former president Islam Karimov.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 325, published on April 17 2017)

MPs receive pay rise, angering ordinary Kazakhs

Leave a Reply

APRIL 11 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — MPs in Kazakhstan have received a pay rise of 50%, media reported. According to the Eurasianet website, the pay rise has angered many ordinary Kazakhs who are struggling through a sharp economic downturn. MPs have responded that the pay rise was organised four year ago and that they were the last group of government officials to receive a pay rise. The pay rise, active since March 1, means that MPs in Kazakhstan now earn $2,000 to $2,200 every month.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 324, published on April 13 2017)

Tajik President’s son starts as Dushanbe mayor

Leave a Reply

APRIL 10 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon officially signed a decree appointing his 29-year-old son, Rustam Emomali, as the mayor of Dushanbe. Mr Emomali had been acting mayor of Dushanbe since January when the previous long- serving incumbent was suddenly fired. He had to wait until he had been elected to the city assembly before he could take up the position on a full-time basis. He was elected to the assembly at the end of last month. Some analysts have said that Mr Emomali’s promotion is part of the grooming he is undergoing ahead of taking over from his father as president.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 324, published on April 13 2017)