CA News Round-up - finally

OK, third time lucky for news round ups - was feeling that I had neglected Registan for a while, so have posted the great CIS debate (Hamlet-esque at the moment) there and just cross-posted it here. So that's most of the regional stuff done. Anyhow, on to the news - and, of course, Happy Kyrgyz Independence Day :)

Kazakhstan

• Hot on the heels of Kazakhstan' bid for the CIS presidency (see previous post) comes news that Kazakhstan is also making a bid - backed by CIS leaders - for the OSCE Presidency in 2009, according to an ITAR-TASS report.
• Voice of America has an interview with Foreign Minister Kassymzhomart Tokayev in which he expresses Kazakhstan's commitment "to strengthening political and military ties with the United States." Difficult not to see this is pragmatic, if not outrightly cynical terms, especially with presidential elections coming up in December and now that Nazarbaev has said he will seek a new term.
• RFE/RL reports that Kyrgyzstan is likely to be supplied with gas from Kazakhstan following Uzbekistan cutting off some supplies to it's neighbour due to political tension.

Kyrgyzstan

• Politics looks set to affect everyday life in Kyrgyzstan this week following Uzbekistan's decision not to sign a contract drawn up on July 19 to supply Kyrgyzstan with gas, as KyrgyzInfo reported. RFE/RL have a report on the issue in English, and it is hoped that the republic will be able to buy sufficient supplies from Kazakhstan to avert a winter crisis.
• Interfax reports that 2 Hizb-ut-Tahrir activists have been detained in Osh and Karasu.
• Government administration purges look set to continue with news via Kommersant that Bakiev has dismissed 3 security officials.
• There is also speculation over who will get government posts, especially because of rumours that Bakiev and Kulov's respective supporters are already facing off. REGNUM has a look at the possible candidates on each side.
• RIA Novosti has a report that Kyrgyzstan is abolishing regions in favour of a three-tier executive system, with further administrative reform planned.
• However, Eurasianet questions whether Bakiev is already losing interest in constitutional reform, which would place firmer limits on executive power.
• The dimming of optimism following the March ousting of Akaev's government is also reflected in RFE/RL's article on Russian emigration from the republic, despite their apparently good societal position.
• Development Gateway has posted a report that 2 of the men in charge of the shootouts in front of the Alay Hotel in Osh some week after the "revolution" have given themselves up.
• The Union of Students is aiming to end the practice of obligatory student participation in so-called "cultural activities" and labour, KyrgyzInfo reports.

Uzbekistan

• RFE/RL has an article by regular commentator Daniel Kimmage discussing labour migration and the post-Andijan situation in the Ferghana Valley , which makes for disquieting reading, even allowing for the considerable number of unknowns in making any assessment of the region. Worst case scenarios have been a favourite of many analysts in the post-Soviet period, but there is much to give even optimists cause for concern now.
• Despite the reports that the GWOT (Global War on Terror) has now been replaced with GSAVE (Global Struggle Against Violent Extremism), it appears Uzbekistan's General Prosecutor hasn't caught up just yet, preferring to stick with the terrorism line in an interview during which he said that future terrorist acts were likely in Central Asia. The threat of terrorism is too good a justification for repression to let go of just yet apparently...
• Meanwhile, despite parliamentary endorsement of the decision to serve notice to Americans stationed at the K2 airbase, many locals don't seem so thrilled at their departure beneath official anti-Americanism due to the loss of income, both personally and for the region. Eurasianet has the full story.
• Journalists and activists continue to be arrested - RFE/RL reports that their correspondent, Nosir Zokirov, was arrested, tried by a kangaroo court and imprisoned immediately on August 26 to serve a six-month term, whilst the Austin Stateman reports that opposition activist Elena Urlayeva, a member of the banned Free Peasants party, was detained in Tashkent on Saturday, apparently for distributing anti-government drawings and attempting to organise a protest.

Reports

• IWPR's Reporting Central Asia No. 406 (26 Aug) included articles on ex-Prime Minister Nikolai Tanaev's return to Kyrgyzstan and the tightening of travel regulations for Uzbeks visiting Russia.
• IWPR's Reporting Central Asia No. 407 (30 Aug) has articles on Kyrgyz concerns over Uzbekistan's decision to cut back gas supplies, and potential cooperation between Tajikistan and Iran.
• IRIN's latest Weekly Central Asia Wrap is available.