Excerpts from report by the Kazakh news agency
Interfax-Kazakhstan on 13th September

Astana, 13th August: Kazakhstan's deputy prime minister and
foreign affairs minister, Kasymzhomart Tokayev, considers the
arrest in Moscow of Kazakhstan's former prime minister, Akezhan
Kazhegeldin, as "an action based upon the law which has nothing
to do" with the political activities of the detained man "and,
all the more so" with the parliamentary election campaign in
the country.

The text of Tokayev's statement, received by
Interfax-Kazakhstan agency on Monday [13th September], notes
that all actions relating to the detention of the former prime
minister were taken in compliance with Kazakhstan's laws, which
have been elaborated "in active cooperation with Western legal
experts". "No one has the right to breach Kazakhstan's
legislation or make exceptions in it for anybody, whoever they
are," Tokayev emphasized in his statement.

[Passage omitted: Kazhegeldin was arrested in Moscow on
10th September on the grounds of an investigation by
Kazkahstan's police into tax evasion and financial machinations;

Belgian police are also investigating his case. Kazhegeldin
is a leader of the Republican People's Party of Kazakhstan, and
has been refused registration as a parliamentary candidate]
Tokayev points out in his statement that in order to
obtain the status of a candidate for parliament, "Kazhegeldin
was required to file a specific appeal to have the
administrative penalty imposed on him for contempt of court
quashed, but he had not done so during the two months since the
date of the elections was announced"."A question arises here:
did he (Kazhegeldin - Interfax-Kazakhstan) really want to be
elected to parliament?" Tokayev asks.

By the way, the deputy prime minister emphasizes, the
leader of the Republican People's Party was arrested in Moscow
on 10th September, that is after the registration of candidates
for parliament was completed. The Central Electoral Commission
completed the registration of candidates on 9th September.
Kazakhstan "is firmly committed to the building of a
democratic law-based state", Tokayev's statement goes on to say.

He notes that "working in close cooperation with the OSCE and
a number of interested states", the Kazakh side has made
amendments,"which fully correspond to the universally-accepted
international norms and standards", to the national electoral
legislation. (for example: the election fee for candidates was
reduced to a quarter, the ban preventing people who had
administrative penalties for participating in activities of an
unregistered public association from running in elections was
lifted, observers have the right to attend the vote-counting in
electoral commissions - Interfax-Kazakhstan)

Thus, Tokayev concludes, the process of making public life
in Kazakhstan more democratic "has become irreversible".
In strengthening democracy in Kazakhstan, the leadership
of the republic is counting "on understanding" on the part of
foreign countries and "constructive cooperation", the document
goes on to say. Astana considers it "inadmissable to use all
sorts of pretexts and fabricated problems to apply pressure and
interference in Kazakhstan's internal affairs".

"We are ready," the foreign minister emphasizes in his
statement, "for a frank exchange of opinions and fruitful
dialogue with all interested states and international
organizations in the name of democratic values in Kazakhstan".

Source: Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency, Almaty, in Russian
0621 gmt 13 Sep 99
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