Today the Head of state Nursultan Nazarbayev arrived with a working trip to Mangistau region
23-12-2011
In Aktau, President Nursultan Nazarbayev held a meeting on the tragic events in the city of Zhanaozen attended by the body of active functionaries, prominent public figures, intelligentsia, and employees of oil companies.
In his remarks, the Head of State outlined that all necessary measures will be taken to restore Zhanaozen, ensure proper functioning of municipal facilities, and employ the dismissed workers. The President also stressed the necessity of strict adherence to Kazakhstan’s legislation.
The President has introduced the new Akim (Governor) to the region’s authorities. Baurzhan Mukhamedzhanov has been appointed Akim of the Mangystau region with the consent of the maslikhat (representative body) of the region.
The President also thanked Krymbek Kusherbayev for his fruitful work, mentioning major economic achievements of the region over the past few years.
Nursultan Nazarbayev said a special government commission, established under his order with First Deputy Prime Minister Umirzak Shukeyev as its head, has visited the Mangystau region to meet with the people and comprehensively explore the situation on the ground. The Government has adopted a special action plan on the elimination of consequences of unrest in Zhanaozen and the rehabilitation of the town. To this end, the government has allocated funds amounting to more than 3 billion tenge. Non-budgetary funds are expected to be allocated for the recovery of privately-owned damaged property.
The situation in the town of Zhanaozen has been stabilized at the moment. Administrative authorities have resumed normal functioning.
The Head of State emphasized that the major cause of mass disturbances lies in the actions of a group of hooligans, who took advantage of the long-standing labour dispute between the dismissed employees and the leadership of the “Ozenmunaigaz” company.
“The Government, as well as the “Samruk Kazyna” National Welfare Fund and KazMunayGas company have failed to implement my instructions on timely resolution of the labour dispute. Unfortunately, they proved unable to resolve the issue. There turned out to be a lot of chance people in the leadership of the company and its affiliated branches. All of this led to the decline in management efficiency. That is why I appoint Lyazzat Kiinov as President of the “KazMunayGas” National Company and Alik Aidarbayev as Director General of “KazMunayGas Exploration and Production,” the Head of State said.
The President instructed the Government to comprehensively examine the actions of the authorized governmental structures and “KazMunayGas” company in that situation and present specific proposals on the punishment of guilty persons, as well as on the reforming the management system of the KazMunayGas company.
Following the meeting, the Head of State said the authorized government bodies should take all the required steps to rehabilitate the situation in Zhanaozen as early as possible.
The President also visited the town of Zhanaozen and got acquainted with the pace of the recovery process. Nursultan Nazarbayev visited the facilities that were subjected to destruction during mass disturbances and met with the residents of the town and representatives of law enforcement bodies.
Later in the day, President Nazarbayev held a meeting with the body of active functionaries and employees of oil companies.
During the meeting, he said independence, peace and accord form the main values of the Kazakhstan society.
“Twenty years ago, we gained independence for the first time in the history of our nation. We should cherish this sacred value. Mass disturbances on the day of the 20th anniversary of Independence were condemned by all of our people. Miners, steelworkers, and labour groups across the country condemned the riots,” Nursultan Nazarbayev said.
Lyazzat Kiinov also addressed the meeting. He assured that all problems including the employment of the dismissed will soon be resolved. In his address, Aidarbayev stressed that all the instructions of the President will be executed in the shortest possible time. Chairman of the Municipal Association of Compatriots who moved to Kazakhstan within the frameworks of the state programme “Nurly Kosh”, S.Mukashev said:
“Nursultan Abishevich, you have personally supported our compatriots who came to their historic homeland. We thank you for everything and for your work, and for your coming here today to support us and solve all the problems.”
The President stressed peace and harmony in society are the core values for Kazakhstanis. Mangystau is a land of ancient traditions, which has been considered by the Kazakhs as a pillar of stability, peace and harmony since ancient times.
“If we have peace and harmony, our children will be happy. Do not forget the words of the great poet Abai who said that national unity is our major value,” the President said.
He also instructed the Government to resolve all the organizational and financial issues in the shortest possible time for the early reconstruction of the destroyed facilities in Zhanaozen and ensure normal functioning of the infrastructure of the town. The President noted that other regions of the country expressed their desire to assist in the reconstruction of the damaged facilities of the town. Moreover, President Nazarbayev noted local businessmen will also assist in the reconstruction of the destroyed facilities and creation of living environment in the town.
Nursultan Nazarbayev said the Government as well as the “Samruk – Kazyna” National Welfare Fund will have to decide over giving the status of legal bodies to the structural units of the “KazMunayGas” National Company. This will become a prerequisite for the rapid solution of social problems of the employees.
The President instructed the government commission headed by Umirzak Shukeyev to identify within two weeks all the reasons that caused discontent of employees of the “Ozenmunaygaz” company and residents of Zhanaozen and make appropriate proposals on their elimination
The President noted that each resident of the town of Zhanaozen will get an opportunity to get a job at one of the enterprises created within the framework of the Accelerated Industrial and Innovative Development Programme.
Nursultan Nazarbayev instructed the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs to take all necessary measures to investigate criminal cases related to mass disturbances. Efforts to identify and find the perpetrators and instigators of the riots need to be strengthened. At that, the investigation must be conducted openly and transparently, with the involvement of the government commission headed by Omirzak Ozganbaev, Chairman of the Board of Veterans of the Mangystau region.
As noted by the President, the overwhelming majority of experts, including foreign ones, agree that mass disturbances in Zhanaozen were a deliberately organized action, “a planned action of a provocative nature which is proved by the articulate organization and the timing”.
On the whole, there is an objective understanding of the situation abroad of this situation, as well as of the government’s actions to resolve it.
In conclusion, the President noted that the tragedy in Zhanaozen was shared by all citizens of the country. The people of Kazakhstan have unanimously condemned the actions of instigators of the upheaval. The events in Zhanaozen have clearly demonstrated the importance of strengthening stability and unity of Kazakhstan’s society. Today, practically no country has escaped mass disturbances resulting from the unprecedented global economic crisis.
“Due to the unity of the people of Kazakhstan, and coherent socio-economic policy, we have all the required prerequisites to restore normal life in Zhanaozen in the shortest possible time. To this end, I instruct all the government agencies to organize a joint and coordinated work. Everything must be done promptly, as soon as possible. I will keep the investigation process under personal control,” the Head of State said.
