Last call not to miss the historic opportunity / Kazakhstan's Democratic Forces Forum

Last call not to miss the historic opportunity

Vienna-Brussels, 28 November 2005

As reports the Vienna-based international Eurasian Transition Group, an influential group of EP members, representing all fractions, has turned to Nursultan Nazarbayev on the eve of the presidential election in Kazakhstan with an open letter. MEPs are concerned by the politically-motivated murders, harassment of opposition candidates and unequal opportunities of participation in the election campaign:

We... follow with grave and increasing concern the preparations of the upcoming presidential election on December 4th 2005 in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

In particular, we have received a constant flow of reports on the harassment of opposition parties and restrictions on freedom of the media, especially with regard to printing, distributing and circulating seizures of independent newspapers.

Other opposition members live in exile: Former Prime Minister Kazhegeldin is not allowed to return to his country in order to support the opposition movement.

In addition, on November 12, one of the most outspoken regime critics, Mr Nurkadilov, was found murdered in his house. All of this gives rise to alarm.

The letter contains a demand addressed personally to Nursultan Nazarbayev to put an end to the violations and to conduct civilized elections in the face of his historic responsibility:

History will judge every leader by his deeds and courage to lead the way and break vicious patterns. Honorable Mr President, we respectfully call upon you to ensure that the violations in the pre-election period come to an end, that the opposition is granted equal access to media and that the election itself takes place peacefully and in accordance with norms set by the OSCE.

According to the Eurasian Transition Group, on November 25, 2005, Friday, the letter was signed by MEPs: Ari Vatanen (France), Karin Jцns (Germany), Martin Callanan (Great Britain), Daniel Cohn-Bendit (Germany), Baroness Emma Nicholson of Winterbourne (Great Britain), Bart Staes (Belgium), Glyn Ford (Great Britain), Satu Hassi (Finland), Karin Scheele (Austria), and Martin Schultz (Germany).

On November 28, 2005, Monday, the collection of signatures continued.

At the same time, the majority European People's Party published a draft resolution that summarizes the Nazarbayev regime's violations of its OSCE and other commitments. For instance, the ER fraction suggests that the EP plenum calls on the Kazakh authorities to:

1. guarantee the political participation of all opposition figures and parties to the upcoming election campaign, also of those individuals who, involuntarily, had to leave the country; most notably Dr. Akezhan Kazhegeldin;

2. give the candidates of the political opposition full and open access to the media in the country;

3. have free, fair and uncensored election that fulfill the agreements made by the OSCE and other international organizations, in which Kazakhstan is a member.

The following is the full text of the letter forwarded by members of the European Parliament to the Kazakh Embassy in Belgium and the draft resolution submitted by the European People's Party.

Open letter to Kazakhstan's President Mr Nazarbayev:

HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY TO ENSURE FAIR ELECTIONS, TRUE DEMOCRACY AND POSITIVE LEADERSHIP IN CENTRAL ASIA

Mr Nursultan Nazarbaev
President of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Brussels, 24 November 2005

Honorable President Nazarbaev,

We, the signatories of this open letter, follow with grave and increasing concern the preparations of the upcoming presidential election on December 4th 2005 in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

In particular, we have received a constant flow of reports on the harassment of opposition parties and restrictions on freedom of the media, especially with regard to printing, distributing and circulating seizures of independent newspapers. Other opposition members live in exile: Former Prime Minister Kazhegeldin is not allowed to return to his country in order to support the opposition movement. In addition, on November 12, one of the most outspoken regime critics, Mr Nurkadilov, was found murdered in his house. All of this gives rise to alarm.

We are also informed that members of the united opposition and its candidate are not able to participate equally in the electoral campaign, that rallies and political meetings are frequently prevented from taking place and that information material has been confiscated by the authorities. What is more, the opposition seems to be getting very poor media coverage.

Kazakhstan has by its own will accepted commitments on democracy, human rights, the rule of law and several other fundamental freedoms and rights, when it joined the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 1992. The decision to join was highly welcome and created a basis for fruitful cooperation between Kazakhstan and the West. However, we consider that the above-mentioned problems constitute serious violations of civil and democratic rights; they are clearly not to be compatible with the wish of Kazakhstan to chair the OSCE in 2009.

Kazakhstan has all the potential to play a crucial role in the Eurasian region and further its transformation towards democracy, freedom of speech, pluralism. But real change must first start at home. As Kazakhstan is on its way to prosperity, its people also deserve to enjoy the fruits of democracy and liberty. History will judge every leader by his deeds and courage to lead the way and break vicious patterns.

Honorable Mr President, we respectfully call upon you to ensure that the violations in the pre-election period come to an end, that the opposition is granted equal access to media and that the election itself takes place peacefully and in accordance with norms set by the OSCE.

Respectful regards,

Ari Vatanen, Martin Callanan, Baroness Emma Nicholson of Winterbourne, Bart Staes, Daniel Cohn-Bendit, Karin Jцns, Satu Hassi, Karin Scheele, Glyn Ford

Members of the European Parliament
__________________________________

European Parliament
2004-2009
ЕРР5-0185/2005

Resolution on Kazakhstan
Rapporteur: Ari Vatanen, EPP

The European Parliament,
having regard to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Community and their Member States and the Republic of Kazakhstan which was signed on 23 January 1995 and entered into force on 1 July 1999,
having regard to irs earlier resolutions concerning the human rights and democracy situation in Kazakhstan and the countries of Central Asia,
having regard to the conclusions of the sixth meeting of the EU-Kazakhstan Cooperation Council, which took place on 17 June 2005 in Brussels,
having regard to the Commission’s Central Asia Strategy Paper 2004-2009,

A. stressing that respect for human rights, democracy, the rule of law is a fundamental element of the EU-Kazakhstan Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, upon which the development of future relation will be based,

B. having regard to the fact that Kazakhstan sigend all major international agreements on freedom of speech, democracy building, respect for human rights,

C. having regard to Kazakhstan’s wish for chairing the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2009,

D. whereas the there is still a number of instances of intimidation and persecution of the political opposition and the press, no freedom of assembly,

E. whereas under the Constitution of Kazakhstan, adopted in 1995, the President can legislate by decree and dominate the legislative and acts of judiciary,

F. whereas non-governmental organisations in Kazakhstan are not allowed by law to be supported by international institutions,

G. whereas new founded non-governmental organisations like the youth movement
„Kahar“ were eliminated by the judiciary,

H. whereas oppositions politicians, who had to leave the country for political reasons like former Prime Minister Dr. Akezhan Kazhegeldin, owner of the Freedom Passport of the European Parliament, are not allowed to return to their country,

I. whereas opposition politicians like G. Zhakiyanov are still under arrest,

J. whereas the united opposition „Movement for Fair Kazakhstan“ and its candidate for the upcoming Presidential Election are still under legal investigations by the Kazakh authorities, obviously for political reasons, sometimes even arrested,

K. whereas the political opposition is not allowed to have open and free access to the mass media in the country,

1. Expresses its concern over the lack of rights of the Kazakh citizens, freedom of speech, freedom of choice and freedom of assembly;

2. Calls on the Kazakhstan authorities to guarantee the political participation of all opposition figures and parties to the upcoming election campaign, also of those individuals who, involuntarily, had to leave the country; most notably Dr. Akezhan Kazhegeldin;

3. Calls on the Kazakhstan authorities to give the candidates of the political opposition full and open access to the media in the country;

4. Calls on the Kazakhstan authorities to have free, fair and uncensored election that fullfill the agreements made by the OSCE, the Council of Europe and other international organisations, in which Kazakhstan is a member or observer country;

5. Points out that free and fair elections without any manipulation will be a major aspect for the European Community in supporting Kazakhstan’s bid for chairing the OSCE in 2009;

6. Calls on the Kazakhstan authorities to release all arrested opposition politicians and members of independent NGO’s in the country;

7. Calls on the Kazakhstan authorities to let all exiled opposition politicians return back to the country;

8. Regrets the fact that independent NGO’s are persecuted for political reasons;

9. Calls on the Council and the Commission to raise firmly the question of respect for human rights, free and fair elections;

10. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Secretary General of the United Nations, the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the government of Kazakhstan.

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01 Dec 2005