From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org)
Date: Fri Dec 14 2001 - 13:06:48 EST
RFE/RL KYRGYZ NEWS
14 DECEMBER 2001, FRIDAY
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A Daily Review of News From Kyrgyzstan
1. International conference on terrorism ends in Bishkek.
2. OSCE Secretary General meets Kyrgyz opposition parties.
3. New protest picket in Bishkek.
4. A driver of a truck with humanitarian aid killed in an accident.
5. An avalanche kills six people in the south.
6. President Akayev to Kazakhstan.
7. NGOs criticize the campaign for local elections.
8. Eurasian Community needs flag and emblem.
9. Conference on reforms in health care system.
10. Announcement: RFE/RL Kyrgyz service increases broadcasting to Kyrgyzstan.
1. INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON TERRORISM ENDS IN BISHKEK. The two-
day "International Conference on Enhancing Security and Stability in
Central Asia; Strengthening Comprehensive Efforts to Counter
Terrorism" ended in Bishkek on 14 December. Its participants adopted
the two documents, the Bishkek Declaration and a program of joint
actions against international terrorism. Secretary General of the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Jan Kubis
told journalists after the conference that the program would an
obligatory document for all OSCE-member countries. Kyrgyz President
Askar Akayev closed the conference.
The government of Kyrgyzstan organized the conference under the
auspices of the OSCE and the UN Office for Drug Control and Crime
Prevention (ODCCP). About 70 delegations from about 60 countries and
international organizations included the seven countries that are
not members of the OSCE took part in it. Kyrgyz President Askar
Akayev, OSCE Secretary General Jan Kubis, OSCE Chairman Mircea
Jeoane, ODCCP Executive Director Pino Arlacci, UN Representative
Mohammad Omarkizi, US representative to OSCE Ambassador Stephan
Minikes, other diplomat participated.
2. OSCE SECRETARY GENERAL MEETS KYRGYZ OPPOSITION PARTIES. Secretary
General of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE) Jan Kubis and US representative to OSCE Stephan Minikes met
in Bishkek at the OSCE office with leaders of the People Congress of
Kyrgyzstan. The congress unites four opposition political parties.
They discussed human right problems of Kyrgyzstan, persecution of
free media and fate of Feliks Kulov, who is in jail since 22
January. Kulov is chairman of the both Ar-Namys Party and the People
Congress. He was a main contender to incumbent President Akayev at
the last year presidential election and was jailed being accused of
power abuse when he was a minister three years ago.
Chairman of the Ata-Meken (Fatherland) Party, Deputy of Parliament
Omurbek Tekebaev; chairman of the People Party Melis Eshimkanov;
chairman of the Erkindik (Liberty) Party and president of the Human
Rights Institute Topchubek Turgunaliev; deputy chairman of the Ar-
Namys (Dignity) Party Emil Aliev attended. About 20 people held a
picket in front of the OSCE office in Bishkek on 14 December,
demanding release of Kulov and stoppage of political persecutions.
3. NEW PROTEST PICKET IN BISHKEK. About 50 people held a protest
picket in Bishkek on 14 December, near the Hyatt Regency Hotel,
where the OSCE conference was held. They had posters with the words:
"Open your eyes, OSCE!" and "Down with Central Asian dictators!" and
others. Police dispersed the picket quickly. According to the
picketers, police detained on 14 December Aleksander Kutsev again.
The first protest picket was held in Bishkek on 13 December and
Kutsev was also detained but released later the same day.
4. A DRIVER OF A TRUCK WITH HUMANITARIAN AID KILLED IN AN ACCIDENT.
The Ministry of Emergencies announced in Bishkek on 14 December that
an accident happened on the mountainous road connected Kyrgyz city
of Osh with Afghanistan on 13 December at about 7 o'clock a.m. A
truck with UN humanitarian aid plunged in a gorge near the Tajik-
Afghan border and its driver Mukadam Davletkadamov, a Kyrgyz
citizen, was killed. A convoy with 4,926 tons of aid was sent from
Osh and about 800 tons of it was lost. The UN began sending aid to
Afghanistan from the Kyrgyz territory on 10 November.
5. AN AVALANCHE KILLS SIX PEOPLE IN THE SOUTH. According to the
governmental press service, a special commission departed to the
southern Osh Province on 14 December. About ten avalanches happened
during the night from 12 to 13 December along the Karakulja-Kogart
road, in and around the village of Oital, about 80 kilometers from
Karakulja to northwest. Six people were killed, eight injured and
five houses were damaged. The road to the Oital village is still
under avalanches. Some residents of the village were rescued by
helicopters.
6. PRESIDENT AKAYEV TO KAZAKHSTAN. Turatbek Junushaliev of the
presidential administration announced in Bishkek on 14 December that
President Askar Akayev would visit Kazakhstan on 15-16 December. It
is expected that Akayev and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev
would sign an agreement on delimitation of the state border between
the two countries and a declaration.
7. NGOs CRITICIZE THE CAMPAIGN FOR LOCAL ELECTIONS. The Coalition of
the Non-Governmental Organizations held a news conference in Bishkek
on 14 December on preparations to the local elections, set for
Sunday, 16 December. President of the coalition Tolekan Ismailova
told the meeting that the election campaign is held under full
control of the government and the government-supported candidates
have big advantages before the independent candidates. According to
Ismailova, the Central Election Commission has shown that it is not
able to act as an independent body. About 1,870 candidates run for
about 460 positions of heads of administrations of villages and
towns.
8. EURASIAN COMMUNITY NEEDS FLAG AND EMBLEM. According to the
parliamentary press service, the Eurasian Economical Community
(EurasEC) announces a contest for the best flag and emblem drafts of
the organizations. Winner of the contest will receive a prize of
60,000 soms (about $1,250). Terms of the contest are available on
the site: www.mpa.eurasec.org. The CIS Customs Unions was
transformed into EurasEC in 2000 and Belarus, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan are its members.
9. CONFERENCE ON REFORMS IN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM. A two-day conference
devoted to the fifth anniversary of the Manas Program of reforms in
health care system in Kyrgyzstan began in Bishkek on 14 December.
President Askar Akayev opened the conference and representatives of
the World Health Organization attend it. Besides the results of the
Manas Program, the conference participants discuss aspects of the
programs against AIDS and tuberculosis.
10. ANNOUNCEMENT: RFE/RL KYRGYZ SERVICE INCREASES BROADCASTING TO
KYRGYZSTAN. Starting 15 December (Saturday), RFE/RL Kyrgyz service
(Radio Azattyk) increases it's broadcasting from three hours till
five hours a day. There will be the two new hours of broadcasting at
20:00- 21:00 in the evening and at 07:00-08:00 (Bishkek time) next
morning in addition to the current programs at 18:00-18:30; 19:00-
19:30; 21:00-22:00 and 06:00-07:00.
Short wave frequencies for the additional programs are: 9595
kiloHertz (31 meter), 11760 kHz (25 m) and 13615 kHz (22 m) for the
evening program; and 5035 kHz (59 m), 9555 kHz (31 m) and 11795 kHz
(25 m) for the morning one. These additional programs would also be
rebroadcast in Kyrgyzstan on medium waves (MW) and eastern FM (so-
called UKW) as the other programs before.
(Compiled and translated by Naryn Idinov in Prague)
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