OSCE Chairman urges Kazakhstan to press ahead with political reform

ASTANA, 15 February 2005 - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, encouraged the government of Kazakhstan on Tuesday to press ahead with political reform, especially in the areas of political pluralism and independent media.

During talks in Astana with the Speakers of Parliament, Nurtai Abykayev and Ural Mukhamedzhanov, the Chairman of the Security Council Bulat Utemuratov and Deputy Foreign Minister Ashkar Shakirov, he said democratic reforms in Kazakhstan, which hopes to take on the OSCE Chairmanship in 2009, would send an important signal to other countries in Central Asia.

"I commend your commitment to further democratic political reform, but regret the fact that the reforms will be scrutinised by a legislature largely devoid of any opposition party representation," the Chairman-in-Office said. "I encourage the Kazakh authorities to stay focused on the political reform path."

The Chairman-in-Office said he was pleased that a representative of Kazakhstan, Kuanysh Sultanov, will be a member of the group of seven Eminent Persons chosen to advise on ways of strengthening and reforming the OSCE.

"Kazakhstan will have a say in reforming the OSCE, a topic very high on our agenda this year," he said. The first meeting of the Eminent Persons group will take place in Ljubljana on Thursday. Minister Rupel welcomed Kazakhstan's willingness to discuss the recommendations of the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) after parliamentary elections last autumn, in which ODIHR identified shortcomings in a number of areas.

"ODIHR has made several highly constructive recommendations, including the need for an improved legislative framework, and the OSCE stands ready to work in partnership with the Kazakh election authorities to implement these recommendations," he said.

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media was ready to provide all necessary legal assistance on drafting a new media law and on other possible initiatives, such as decriminalization of libel law, in conformity with OSCE standards.

The Chairman-in-Office expressed strong support for Kazakhstan's efforts in the field of counter-terrorism, in particular its commitment to ensuring that human rights are safeguarded. "I warmly welcome the Kazakh government's stated intention to improve good governance. I believe committed actions in this area will further enhance Kazakhstan's economic development," he added.

During his meetings, the Chairman-in-Office also discussed a draft law on extremism currently under review in Kazakhstan.

"We appreciate that Kazakhstan is trying to find ways of addressing extremism, but extremism is not well suited as a legal concept," said Minister Rupel. "A broad definition of extremism would be a cause for concern."

Referring to a recent court decision to dissolve a political party, the Chairman-in-Office said: "This ruling should not be a disproportionate sanction which could damage the development of political pluralism".

Minister Rupel pledged OSCE support in tackling serious environmental problems such as the poor quality of drinking water and air pollution in cities.

At the end of his visit, the Chairman met representatives of political parties and NGOs.