By Zoya Pylenko (1/11/2006 issue of the CACI Analyst)

Some journalists speculate that Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev’s family are somehow linked to the new owners. If this is true, the new authorities seem to follow the way of their predecessors, who once also took Pyramida under control – for profits, and to silence criticism.

According to Kyrgyz journalists, freedom of speech is not hampered any longer as it was under the previous President, Askar Akaev.

By Marat Yermukanov (1/11/2006 issue of the CACI Analyst)

The construction of Atasu –Alashankou started in September 2004. The construction of the pipeline took ten months, which is considered a record time for the “project of the century”. The planned extension of Kenkyak – Atyrau pipeline built in 2003 to the Kumkol oil fields in Kyzylorda region of South Kazakhstan will increase greatly the volume of oil to be delivered to the refinery in China’s Xinjiang region.

By Marat Yermukanov (12/14/2005 issue of the CACI Analyst)

Many factors contributed to the resounding election success of Nursultan Nazarbayev, not least his ability to win support for his election campaign even from the most impoverished strata of Kazakh society. Significantly, he reaped his highest support in the predominantly Russian-populated North Kazakhstan region (95.6%), but even in the economically backward Kyzylorda region, home base of his main opponent Zharmakhan Tuyakbay, voters’ support for him was quite impressive.