Kazakhstan’s Nazarbayev secures crushing election win

Updated 27 April 2015
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Kazakhstan’s Nazarbayev secures crushing election win

With a record turnout of voters (95.22 percent) on Saturday watched by media representatives as well as national and international observers from around the world, Kazakhstan’s founder President Nursultan Nazarbayev was making his bid for another five-year term during the country’s general elections.
According to the Kazakh Central Election Commission (CEC) head, Nazarbayev received the highest vote (97.71) and his opponents, Kusainov and Syzdykov had got only 0.7 percent and 1.6 percent respectively of the turnout at their polling booths. The final result will be declared by the CEC within two days, well ahead of the May 3 deadline.
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, the CEC Secretary Bakhyt Meldeshev, said that for the first time ever, the voter turnout was the highest in Kazakhstan’s history. If, as expected, he succeeds in getting re-elected, he will score a hat-trick in retaining the vote of confidence in his policies and programs that have contributed to the growth and development of his country.
Various international media representatives from Europe, Middle East and Asia, were allowed to take photos of people from all walks of life waiting for their turn to cast their ballots for the three official candidates, including President Nazarbayev.
Lyazat Suilemen, member of the CEC, said that at 10 p.m. on Saturday 9.5 million out of 19.17 million eligible voters had already cast their votes. The voting process remained open until 8 a.m. (local time) here on Sunday.
Both international media men all over the world and Kazak nationals predicted that the people of Kazakhstan will re-elect the country’s founder President Nazarbyev (74) as he already established himself as state leader for economic growth, employment, health care and scholarship programs for students.
He leads a country trying to fuse its rich cultural heritage from central Asia with western modernity in order to harness its potential for becoming a new hub of economic growth, said a media international observer.
According to a local report, more than 1,1000 observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, as well as independent observers, were on hand to monitor the vote.
Casting his ballot today at the polling No. 81 in central Astana, Nazarbayev told reporters that his people will vote for stability of Kazakhstan.
“I am confident that people will vote for their future and the future of their children and for our flourishing Kazakhstan,” the president noted.
On security issues during the election, the Kazakh’s law-enforcement official told journalists that the election went smoothly without any violence while, security measures have been in place at all polling stations.
Police and security forces were also deployed in vital areas to manage and protect the voting process. “Today (Sunday) is a working day for all security agencies in Kazakhstan to ensure security and safety” said, Mazat Demeuv, deputy minister at Kazak Ministry of Interior.
The 9th largest country in the world with only 17 million population is rapidly growing with lots of opportunities to offer in terms of its oil wealth. Many Kazaks see their president as the man behind its landmark achievements within a short period of time.
Toleutaev Argyn, one of the voters, told Arab News after casting his vote that one of the major achievements of the president is the Bolashak program.
It is state scholarship for Kazakh students, especially the talented ones wishing to pursue higher education abroad at government expense. “When they return home, they immediately get employed by the government and have to put in at least three years’ service,” said Argyn.
He added: “Such a program has helped a large number of the population from all background, including poor students. It also encourages them to compete and win prestigious scholarship.”
A visiting professor Dr. Laszlo Maracz from the University of Amsterdam, who is also attending the event as a member of the international media monitoring team, told Arab News that, Kazakhstan is trying to combine its rich nomadic culture originating from central Asia with western modernity. “Actually they try to mix the two concepts using it as a tool to catch up with the modern world” he noted.
Speaking further, he said: “In a globalized world the academic system is becoming more homogenous. We are interested as Dutch university in seeing how curriculum is established here, how they are taught, how students are motivated. There are the center problems that modern universities are facing today. I think they are not different from Europe and Kazakhstan“
He pointed out that they have not come here to play the wise man. “We are here also to learn and see how they solve specific issues, including those concerning education. It is very central position, with Kazakhstan to the right of the map you see China, to the left Russia, the European Unions, the Cocoas countries it is very close to Afghanistan, India and the Middle East. Basically from this position you have a wide range of perspectives so that makes it in very interesting position. At the same time it is the 9th biggest country with a relatively small population living in it.”
According to him, the country serves as a kind of hub in the network of states and “that’s being promoted under the leadership of Nazarbayev. With his very modern concept he is trying to form a network in a globalized world connecting everyone.”
The professor said that the period during the 1990s was not very successful for Kazakhstan. The country was on the verge of financial collapse in the aftermath the break-up of the Soviet Union and it was President Nazarbayev and his team who managed to lift his citizens from a very difficult period.
“His prestige has been established in the nineties and what he came after was the possibility to liberate on his own plan to renew the country. But If the first obstacle would not have been taken, it could be probably even today very chaotic under, poor under develop county with a lot of complex” he said.
He referred to the acceleration of development and stability. ” The people don’t want to go back to the nineties, with financial problems, mafia and human trafficking and drug trafficking.”
He continued: ” His role behind the scheme of combining progress with stability is very important. What we need is stability, clear vision along with modernity and religious tolerance. That is respecting of course Islam but no extremist worries.”
Talking about his program, the Dutch professor said that in “Kazakhstan unemployment is under control. There are enough jobs especially in the cities. The situation here is better than some European countries.”
On democratic process in the country, Dr. Maracz said it will be mistake to judge Kazakhstan by Western standards, because it is a young developing country in central Asia. “So we must not be disappointed as some Westerners argue that when there are no 10 candidates it is not democratic. I don’t agree with that point of view. We should see it as a process, and the process is going on. In the parliament you have at the moment, three political parties, there were three candidates running that people can have alternative votes,” he added.


Cambodian garment workers fret Trump’s new tariff threat

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Cambodian garment workers fret Trump’s new tariff threat

PHNOM PENH: As Cambodian garment workers took breaks from toiling in sweltering factories on Tuesday, they feared for their jobs after US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose a 36 percent tariff.
“I beg the US to reduce the tariff for the sake of workers in Cambodia,” 38-year-old Im Sothearin told AFP as she rested from her work in an underwear factory in the capital Phnom Penh.
“If they charge a high tariff, it is only workers who are going to suffer,” said the mother-of-three who earns only $300 a month.
“Factories might be closed or workers will have their wages lowered, or be forced to work faster.”
Cambodia — a major manufacturer of low-cost clothing for Western brands — was among the nations hardest hit by Trump’s “Liberation Day” blitz of tariff threats in April.
The US president originally outlined a 49-percent rate if Cambodia failed to broker a deal with Washington. On Monday, he lowered it to 36 percent and extended the negotiation deadline to August 1.
While the levy is lower than the original eye-watering figure, it has done little to allay anxieties.
“If the tariff is that high, companies won’t have money to pay,” 28-year-old pregnant worker Sreymom, who goes by only one name, told AFP as she bought fruit on her lunch break.
“I am worried that we won’t have jobs to do,” the 11-year veteran of the factory floor said. “I want the tariff to be reduced more.”
Cambodia’s chief negotiator in talks with Washington called the reduction in the proposed rate — announced in a letter among more than a dozen Trump despatched to trade partners — a “huge victory.”
“We are so successful in negotiations,” Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol told reporters in Phnom Penh. “We still have a chance to negotiate further to reduce the tariff rate more.”
But back in April commerce ministry spokesman Penn Sovicheat told AFP that harsh US tariffs on his country were “not reasonable.”
Cambodia said it had about $10 billion in exports to the United States last year, mainly garment products.
The nation has been paying a 10-percent standby rate as negotiators rush to make a deal.
Many factories in Cambodia are Chinese-owned. The White House previously accused the kingdom of allowing Chinese goods to stop over on the way to US markets, thereby skirting steeper rates imposed on Beijing.
Yi Mom has had a two-decade career in the garment industry. But she frets it may be ended if Cambodia fails to soften the blow threatened by the United States.
“I fear that the high tariff will affect factories and will result in fewer jobs for workers,” said the 47-year-old.
“Then we will have low wages and will not be able to support our families.”

UN says ‘deeply troubled’ by Kenya protest killings

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UN says ‘deeply troubled’ by Kenya protest killings

  • The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights meanwhile reported at least 10 deaths, 29 injuries, 37 arrests and two abductions

GENEVA: The United Nations on Tuesday expressed serious concern over the deaths of at least 10 people in Kenya where police and protesters clashed during anti-government demonstrations the previous day.

The violence erupted on Saba Saba Day (meaning Seven Seven) when demonstrators annually mark the events of July 7, 1990 when Kenyans rose up to demand a return to multi-party democracy after years of autocratic rule by then-president Daniel arap Moi.

“We are deeply troubled by the killings yesterday of at least 10 people, as well as looting and destruction of property in Kenya,” UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva.

She said that “lethal ammunition, rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons were used” as police responded to the protests.

She highlighted that Kenyan police had reported that at least 11 people were killed, 52 police officers injured and 567 arrests made.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights meanwhile reported at least 10 deaths, 29 injuries, 37 arrests and two abductions, she added.

“We have also received reports of looting and damage to public and private property by unidentified individuals in multiple locations.”

Shamdasani said the violence came “barely two weeks after 15 protesters were reportedly killed and many more injured in Nairobi and other parts of Kenya on 25 June.”

UN rights chief Volker Turk renews “his call for calm and restrain, and full respect for the freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly,” she said.

“It is essential that legitimate grievances at the root of these protests are addressed,” the spokeswoman said.

The UN rights office noted that Kenyan police had announced an investigation into earlier incidents.

Shamdasani stressed that “under international human rights law, intentional lethal force by law enforcement officers, including with firearms, should only be used when strictly necessary to protect life from an imminent threat.”

Turk reiterates “his call for all reported killings and other alleged violations and abuses of international human rights law, including with respect to use of force, to be promptly, thoroughly, independently and transparently investigated,” she said.

“Those responsible must be held to account.”


Acropolis shuts, outdoor work halted as heatwave scorches Greece

Updated 16 min 5 sec ago
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Acropolis shuts, outdoor work halted as heatwave scorches Greece

  • To protect outdoor workers, the labor ministry has decreed a work stoppage from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. in various parts of the country, including several islands
  • The Greek culture ministry said the world renowned site would be shut till 5:00 p.m

ATHENS: Greece’s top archaeological monument, the Acropolis, was partially shut Tuesday as part of emergency measures to protect visitors and workers around the country during a four-day heatwave.
The Greek culture ministry said the world-renowned site would be shut till 5:00 p.m. (1400 GMT) “for the safety of workers and visitors, owing to high temperatures.”
The four-day heatwave confirmed by meteorologists began Sunday is the second to grip Greece since late June.
Temperatures are expected to reach 42 Celsius (107.6 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, with a maximum of 38 Celsius in Athens.
Similar temperatures are expected on Wednesday.
To protect outdoor workers, the labor ministry has decreed a work stoppage from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. in various parts of the country, including several islands.
The stoppage mainly affects construction work and delivery riders.
“Days with a heatwave make my job more difficult,” cycle-riding courier Michalis Keskinidis told AFP.
“We drink a lot of water to protect ourselves from the heat, combined with electrolytes, and take breaks whenever possible,” the 43-year-old said.
The 2,500-year-old Acropolis, built on a rock overlooking the capital that offers little shade, draws tens of thousands of visitors daily.
Last year it recorded some 4.5 million visitors, an increase of over 15 percent compared to 2023.
Officials had been forced to order similar shutdowns in the past two years in heatwave conditions.

The Greek civil protection authority has warned of high fire risk in the greater Athens area, in central Greece and the Peloponnese peninsula.
Greece’s fire department has been dealing with up to 50 fires daily, the head of the Greek fire service officers’ union Constantinos Tsigkas told state TV ERT.
Elsewhere, Serbia’s hydrometeorological service RMHZ warned that weather conditions could fuel more fires, after 620 fires were recorded Monday.
But there are also thunderstorms expected in Serbia’s northern Vojvodina region, as well as in western and central areas.
RHMZ has also warned of the possibility of hail and hurricane-force gusts of wind.
Croatia has already felt the impact of storms since Monday, with several of the country’s regions affected.
Two people were injured and hospitalized in Vinkovci after a storm knocked down a power line on a family house near the eastern town, police said.
The authorities said they had taken dozens of calls over wind-related emergencies including trees blocking roads, damaged roofs and power failures.
On Tuesday, heavy rain and gale-force winds flooded roads, knocked down trees and caused power outages at the Croatian port town of Split, the state-run HRT broadcaster reported.
At the town’s port, a ferry broke its moorings and hit a catamaran and a tourist excursion boat, sinking the latter.
There was similar trouble further north, with storms raging in Hungary and Slovakia.
In Budapest, strong winds damaged roofs, felled trees onto roads and downed power lines on Monday, with the national meteorological service HungaroMet measuring winds up to 137 kilometers (85 miles) per hour locally.
Rail traffic was severely disrupted across Hungary with full restoration of services potentially requiring weeks, according to Construction and Transport Minister Janos Lazar.
In Slovakia, gale-force winds caused power outages and blew off the roof of a block of flats in the eastern town of Gelnica and fallen trees disrupted road and railway transport across the region.
The country’s weather service SHMU has issued a storm warning with heavy rain, wind and hail for Tuesday, mainly for central and eastern Slovakia.


Thousands told to stay home as Spain forest fire rages on

Updated 17 min 53 sec ago
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Thousands told to stay home as Spain forest fire rages on

  • Forest fire stoked by fierce winds has burned more than 2,300 hectares
  • Spain has in recent days sweltered through a heatwave that parched the land and heightened the risk of forest fires

MADRID: Spanish firefighters on Tuesday were battling a forest fire stoked by fierce winds that has burned more than 2,300 hectares (5,680 acres), with authorities urging thousands of residents to stay home.

The Spanish army’s emergency response unit said it had deployed overnight near the northeastern city of Tarragona to assist local authorities.

The blaze has devoured “around 2,377 hectares of land, mostly forest,” countryside rangers in the Catalonia region wrote on X.

The protected Els Ports natural park makes up 30 percent of the affected area, they added.

Firefighters released video footage shot from a helicopter on Monday showing hills enveloped in a cloud of grey and orange smoke stretching into the distance.

Winds of up to 90 kilometers per hour (56 miles per hour) made it harder to extinguish the fire overnight, firefighters said.

The national civil protection authority urged residents in the area to close their doors and windows and stay home, saying that around 18,000 people were affected.

Scientists say human-induced climate change is increasing the intensity, length and frequency of the extreme heat that causes some forest fires.

Spain has in recent days sweltered through a heatwave that parched the land and heightened the risk of forest fires.

National weather agency AEMET said last month was Spain’s hottest June on record and that the frequency of extreme heat had tripled in the past 10 years.

According to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), some 500 fires destroyed 300,000 hectares in Spain in 2022, a record for the continent.

Around 21,000 hectares have burned so far this year.


Kremlin says former minister’s suicide is shocking

Updated 17 min 25 sec ago
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Kremlin says former minister’s suicide is shocking

MOSCOW: The Kremlin said on Tuesday that the suicide of former Transport Minister Roman Starovoit just hours after his dismissal by President Vladimir Putin was shocking.

Starovoit was found dead in his car outside Moscow with a gunshot wound and the principal hypothesis is that he took his own life, state investigators said on Monday, hours after Putin fired him.

A presidential decree published on Monday gave no reason for the dismissal of Starovoit after barely a year in the job.