KAZAKHSTAN EMBARKS ON FAR-REACHING ECONOMIC REFORMS

by Georgiy Voloshin (02/06/2013 issue of the CACI Analyst)

In his December 2012 address to the nation, President Nazarbayev presented an ambitious program of political, economic and social transformations aimed at permitting Kazakhstan to become one of the world’s thirty most developed and prosperous countries by 2050. Nazarbayev’s decision in mid-January 2013 to reorganize the government, via the establishment of a new ministry in charge of regional development and the optimization of policy functions within existing structures, was the first demonstration of this new course. Later on January 23, the Kazakh president met with members of his government in order to provide concrete guidelines for the short- and medium-term.

By Alexander Sodiqov (12/12/2012 issue of the CACI Analyst)

On November 26, Internet providers in Tajikistan cut local access to Facebook, the social-networking website, citing an order from the state-run communications agency. The organization initially suggested that the ban was imposed due to “technical problems.” On November 28, however, the agency’s head announced that he had ordered to restrict access to Facebook in response to “public pressure.

By Eka Janashia (12/12/2012 issue of the CACI Analyst)

On December 5, the Georgian Parliament approved a resolution that envisages the exoneration of “political prisoners” and people “in political exile,” with 77 votes to 14. The United National Movement (UNM) lawmakers strongly denounced the document whereas the Georgian Dream (GD) parliamentary majority embraced it with standing applauses.  The resolution seeks the pardon of 190 prisoners arrested and convicted on diverse criminal charges, and an additional 25 individuals who were sentenced in absentia in Georgia and are presently “in political exile.