Kazakh president says young reformers should focus on economy,
not on politics

12/29/2001
BBC Monitoring
Source: Interfax news agency, Moscow, in English 0852 gmt 29 Dec 01/BBC Monitoring/(c) BBC

Text of report in English by Russian news agency Interfax

Almaty, 29 December: President Nursultan Nazarbayev has suggested to young reformers that they pay more attention to economic aspects of national development and not to get involved in politics.

Nazarbayev told artists in Almaty on Saturday [29 December] that "if a group of young people offers an economic programme, which is better than the current one," he would instruct them to implement it.

Yet, to his regret young reformers "prefer the politics we already have," Nazarbayev said. "None have proposed economic reforms, we have nothing but debates."

Nazarbayev seems to have meant the organizers of the Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan, a public association of former officials and businessmen who favour accelerated and more radical political transformations in the country and suggest electing all types of local administration chiefs.

As for the strategic development of Kazakhstan, the president said he would like to build "an open democratic society with freedom of speech," so that citizens and politicians can openly express their ideas.