Text of report by the Kazakh news agency Interfax-Kazakhstan on
17th August

Almaty, 17th August: Six members of the Republican People's
Party of Kazakhstan (RPPK) announced on Tusday [17th August]
that they are quitting its ranks, accusing the deputy chairman
and head of the executive committee of the RPPK, Gaziz
Aldamzharov, of "a definitive split" in the party.

In an open letter to the leader of the party [former
Kazakh prime minister] Akezhan Kazhegeldin, the text of which
was sent to the Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency, the members of
the RPPK emphasize that Aldamzharov has shown himself to be "a
bad organizer and has not done anything to close party ranks".
The authors of the letter warn Kazhegeldin that he "being
far from the homeland and not having true information about the
state of party affairs in the RPPK", is losing the party. "We
had warned you of the threat of a split in the party, but you
failed to comprehend all the seriousness of the arisen
situation," the authors of the letter noted. Those who signed
the letter intend to set up a new party "soon" and "unite all
the healthy forces of the opposition in it". The authors [of
the letter] have assured Kazhegeldin of their readiness to
"continue the political struggle" alongside him "to liquidate
the regime of authoritarian rule of the president and to
develop democracy" in the republic, but, they emphasized,
addressing the leader of the RPPK, "without your servants who
are only displaying a desire to return to power only for their
own sake but not for the sake of the people".

The letter was signed by L. Bayseitova, V. Marinenko, O.
Alimbekov, S. Zhakubbekov, B. Nurseitov and the last signature
is illegible.

Meanwhile, the leader of the RPPK has been abroad for more
than six months now. The law-enforcement agencies are
investigating a criminal case against him, accusing the former
prime minister of tax evasion and financial machinations. In
response to this, Kazhegeldin himself and his lawyers asserted
that he was innocent and would come to Kazakhstan only after
appropriate guarantees of his security from the
prosecutor-general's office.

A Congress of the RPPK is scheduled to take place in
Almaty on Wednesday [18th August], at which issues of the
party's participation in the forthcoming autumn parliamentary
elections in the republic will be discussed.

The RPPK was formed at the end of 1998. In March this year
the party received temporary registration and in July a
permanent registration certificate. According to statements by
the Central Electoral Commission, the RPPK has the right to
officially participate in the parliamentary elections,
including on party lists, and also to set up the party's
election fund.

Source: Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency, Almaty, in Russian 1255 gmt 17 Aug 99
BBC Mon CAU 170899/**AJBA/AK