Co-chairman of the moderate opposition party Ak
Zhol Altynbek Sarsenbaev is appointed as new information
minister
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev appointed
Altynbek Sarsenbaev, co-chairman of the moderate opposition party Ak
Zhol, minister of information on 12 July. Sarsenbaev immediately
announced that he plans to pursue liberal policies, crafting a new
media law, and ensuring a fair media environment for the 19
September parliamentary elections.
In particular, as the minister has stated to journalists at a press
conference in Almaty, the Ministry of Information of RK is going to
create public television. According to A. Sarsenbayev, the public
television can be created on the basis of "Kazakhstan-1" TV & radio
broadcasting company. "I believe that there is a necessity of
creating such television today," - he has said.
The new minister also dropped charges that had been filed against a
newspaper for a minor violation of registration rules. Earlier it
was reported that the Ministry of Information of Kazakhstan has
applied to court with a lawsuit against "Nachnem s ponedelnika"
newspaper as per article 342 of the Administrative Code in relation
with the violation of a media registration in the newspaper.
According to Ramazan Yesserghepov, chief editor of the newspaper, it
was accused of illegal distribution after an addition of two pages
in Kazakh language in it. As per the current legislation the
newspaper had to re-register to do that. A. Sarsenbayev says that
"an entry about the language of this or that newspaper is needed
solely for statistics and this fact cannot be used as a reason to
close media." Official apologies were presented to the newspaper
editorial staff on July 13.
A. Sarsenbayev was born September 12, 1962. He graduated from the
Kazakh State University named after S. Kirov in journalism, PhD in
political science.
In the past he headed the state onomastic commission by the
government of RK, the Ministry of Print and Mass Media, the Ministry
of Culture, Information and Public Accord, the Security Council of
RK. In January, 2002, he was assigned ambassador extraordinary and
plenipotentiary of Kazakhstan to Russia, Finland and Armenia.
In the beginning of November 2003 was dismissed from his ambassador
duties by order of the president of RK. After the dismissal A.
Sarsenbayev was elected one of co-chairpersons of "Akzhol" party at
one of its congresses.
Responding to a question about his political views, A. Sarsenbayev
said that he remained a leader of the "Ak Zhol" party. "I don't
change my political views because of political climate or a new
job," - he explained.
July 21, 2004 By
http://www.gazeta.kz/art.asp?aid=47183
http://www.gazeta.kz/art.asp?aid=47198
http://www.gazeta.kz/art.asp?aid=47304
RFE/RL Central Asia Report Vol. 4, No. 28, 21 July 2004
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