Almaty, Kazakhstan, November 19, 1998 - President Nursulatan Nazarbayev said today that it is the "government's responsibility to protect the freedom of the press," and instructed senior prosecutors, law enforcement and other officials "to act swiftly and forcefully against actions that threaten the workings of a free press." He made these statements in formal remarks before the participants of the Conference for Regional Election of the Central Asian States being held this week in Almaty.

The President also told the audience that he had instructed Akims "to see their role as neutral in the election process rather than as advocates for a government candidate." He added that "they should use their authority to uphold the law; to ensure that elections are free and fair; for them, all candidates are equal, even an incumbent president should not have any privileges or advantages. Any violation of this principle will be strictly

punished."

Speaking to the role of independent international observers of the election process, the President said, "We welcome, we encourage, and to the extent that we can, we insist on the active participation of democracy non-governmental organizations, like the OSCE, the NDI from the United States and IFES. We want your assistance, we want your expertise, and we want your experience."

The President explained to the group the reason for his formal communication to the Supreme Court requesting it reconsider the lower court's decision that prevented the registration of two individuals in the upcoming presidential campaign. He said, "I am the guarantor of the rights and freedoms as provided in the Constitution," and "naturally I must safeguard the ability of these two candidates to participate in the election campaign."

President Nazarbayev told the audience that "we are committed to make the upcoming elections in Kazakhstan models of transparency and honesty." He acknowledged that as a "work in progress" Kazakhstan's status as a newly democratic country poses challenges but that the country had experienced

"an extraordinarily rapid political and economic transformation" in its seven years of independence.

Those attending the conference included the United Nations (UN) Electoral Assistance Division, the UN Development Program, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the International Foundation for Election Systems, and the Soros Foundation.