By Fariz Ismailzade (4/9/2003 issue of the CACI Analyst)

On April 3 Azeri President Aliyev made an unexpected trip to Sumgait, the country\'s third largest city, located just 40 km north of Baku. In a heated and tense meeting with the local governmental officials and businessmen, President Aliyev harshly criticized the socio-economic situation in the city and has fired the mayor of Sumgait Tavakkul Mammadov from his position. \"The mayor is relieved from his duties because of major shortcomings in his work\", the President said at the meeting.

By Aijan Baltabaeva (3/26/2003 issue of the CACI Analyst)

The local investment climate analysis showed that the country gives fewer privileges to investors than do neighboring states. The cancellation of tax and judicial initiatives in 1996 and in 1997 distracted foreign businessmen who had expressed interest in Kyrgyzstan.

As result, from 1997 a sustained negative tendency of direct investments levels developed.

By Gulnara Ismailova (3/26/2003 issue of the CACI Analyst)

The opposition demands the formation of the Central Election Commission (CEC) on the basis of the eight parties, which collected more than 1 % of votes in the last parliamentary elections of November 2000. According to the opposition, the principles of CEC formation developed in the President’s office allows authorities to take the election commissions under their control, which they deem unacceptable.

The Election Code assumes to divide the Central Election commission into three parts between authorities, the parliamentary opposition, and independent MPs.