Parliamentary elections’ preliminary results have been today revealed, and everyone is concerned now over the legitimacy and openness of the voting. Some are satisfied, others are very critical over the way it was conducted. International organizations and local himan rights and democarcy coalitions that observed the process, believe that it was did not meet standards and norms.

Human rights activist Aziza Abdirasulova said that the parliamentary elections were dirty and has demonstrated that we made a step away from democratic values. She emphasized the following (AKIpress):

There were mass cases of ballots’s stuffing into elections boxes by members of precinct commissions, mass bringing of voters to polling stations, psychological and physical pressure on independent observers,” she said. Our observers sent their reports every minute; we did not even manage to fix them. We did not know whom we were to appeal to. We appealed to higher authorities, to some representatives. But they were just inactive. How we, representatives of non governmental organizations, should cooperate with parliament after such elections? How deputies, who came to the parliament with so much mass violations, would work for the benefit of the society?

The Civic Committee for Electors’ Rights suggests announcing elections as invalid and illegal as many citizens have not found their names in the voters’ lists, said member of the Civic Committee for Electors’ Rights Elena Voronina during press conference.

Around 800 observers of the Civic Committee for Electors’ Rights were present at the elections. The following major violations occurred: discrepancies in voters’ lists; pressure on chairs, members of local election commissions, observers and electors; bringing university students to polling stations, wide-scaled palm-greasing especially in rural areas; mass ballots’ stuffing into ballot boxes.

Ballots were stolen at polling station no. 1144 in Bishkek and another pack of ballots were put in replacement. When we began counting, according to our estimates 384 voters have come to the polling station, but when members of local election commission have counted, there were 732 ballots.

The European Network of Election Monitoring Organization (ENEMO) said during few serious violations occurred during the voting that affected the whole process. ENEMO’s 20 short-term observers from 13 countries of the world visited more than 200 polling stations to monitor all stages of the voting process across the country and they regarded the voting process as “bad” or “very bad”. They Observers referred to voting without the required documents, breach of ballot’s secrecy, illegal agitation, busing voters to polling stations, etc.

The results of the parliamentary elections were revealed today. According to the Central Election Committee, informs AKIpress, 1,650,698 people or 71.93% of voters took part and voted in the election process, which is equivalent to turnout of 83.27%. According to the preliminary voting results, the presidential party Ak-Zhol takes the lead followed by the opposition party “Ata-Meken” led by Omurbek Tekebaev, ex-deputy of Parliament. Following is the list of parties with percentage of votes:

Ak Zhol party has received 47.43% of votes.
Ata Meken party follows with 9.51% of votes
Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan – 4.65%
Communists’ Party of Kyrgyzstan – 2,78%
Turan party – 1.95%
Ar Namys – 1.43%
ErK – 0.85%
Asaba party – 0.78%
Erkindik – 0.61%
Aalam – 0.53%
Glas Naroda – 0.35%
Novaya Sila – 0.23%
0.23% of voters have voted against all parties.

The Central Election Commission said that according to preliminary results Ata Meken party has not gained 0.5% of the overall list of registered voters in Batken and Osh oblasts and in Osh city. In Batken oblast Ata Meken has gained 3,600 votes, in Osh oblast – 4,644 votes, in Osh city – 620 votes instead of the required 13,500 votes in order to overcome 0.5% threshold.

This, I guess would mean that we will have one-party system, which in this case is Ak-Zhol. The final results of the voting will be revealed on 19 or 20 December, 2007.

Mashenzia, a blogger and an Almaty-based reporter of the international news service, tells a funny story that has happened to her lately in Astana, the capital city. It’s amazing how people that live in Old Town of Astana – the Soviet-type provincial cityscape – sometimes do not have any idea of what is happening on the river’s Left Bank, where the Shining New City is rapidly growing. Here is her dialogue with a taxi driver in Old Town.

- Ak-Orda [the presidential palace], please.
- What’s that? – a man asks distrustfully.
- Ak-Orda. Left Bank.
- Don’t know what it is.
- Presidential administration. His residence, – I explain patiently.
- No, I don’t know such, – he shaked his head.

Most of you, especially those who like American football, know that Superbowl, which is held once every year in US, is one of the most prestigious football matches. Every year, thousands of football fans go to Superbowl to support their teams. However, there are a lot of people who go to Superbowl with some other intentions – to see the commercials that are shown just once – during the break between the game halves. These commercials are usually very creative and inspiring. The most outstandings, of course, are the commercials of Coke and Pepsi, the two competitors in the world market.

The Superbowl “Godfather commercial” of Persi, where a little cute girl once cheated at the bar speaks with the voice of a Godfather, is one of my favorite Superbowl ads. Recently, owners of a drinking water Arktika that is produced in Uzbekistan made a similar commercial with the same script, but in Uzbek language. All actors, who play in the commercial, are performers in the famous Uzbek sequel Shaytanat (The Country of Evil), a movie about the mafia groups in Uzbekistan at late 80′s and in the beginning of 90′s. A little cute girl speaks with the voice of Asadbek, a main mafioso in the movie.

Here is the original Pepsi commercial. Compare and have fun :)

I wonder if the owners of Arktika bought a permission to do this ad. If not, they could be sued.

Ahli-farosating bormi o’zi? :)

Central Asia and hydrocarbons, that is usually a story limited to Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, the oil and gas rich countries of the region. Fair enough, Uzbekistan also has some considerable gas deposits, yet it remains a net importer of energy.

[inspic=69,left,,150] Despite some old rusty derricks in the Ferghana Valley, oil and gas in Kyrgyzstan do not play any substantial role. Up until now that is. I remember driving near Sary-Tash and seeing slick Chinese SUVs parading on the bumpy roads in the country’s south. Asking the locals about this sight, they told me that the energy-hungry neighbours are looking for oil in the Ala-Too range.

Not until a few days ago did I remember this strange sight in the inhospitable Kyrgyz heights. Then I read the news of a relatively new oil company having secured drilling rights in Albania. The name of that company made me alert: It is called Manas Petroleum. Read the full story »

Tajikistan is trying to put a ban on witchcraft and fortune-telling.

“Those indulging in sorcery and fortune-telling shall be fined between 30 and 40 times the minimum monthly wage (85 to 113 pounds),” says the text of a draft law backed by the lower chamber of the Tajik parliament on Wednesday and obtained by Reuters.

I really do not understand our parliament which passes strange laws one after another, as if there is nothing more important to be busy with. I think, this is another trick of authorities to draw away the attention of people from more important issues, such as electricity cut-offs, increase in food and oil prices, lack of gas etc.

RIA Novosti reports that there are about 5,000 people in Tajikistan registered in the Center of folk-medicine as healers however most of them are involved in sorcery and fortune-telling and make a lot of money.

This rule is going to be set within the framework of anti-poverty campaign. Then, why would authorities take away from some people their last source of income? It doesn’t make sense to me. As usual, this kind of laws are making life in this country even worse.

Tourists and foreign delegations usually visit just the modern mosque in Geokdepe. This is a big mistake, because only a few hundred metres farther to the north lies an old cemetery where the defenders of the fortress are buried. A wonderful view of the Kopet Dag range can be seen from this place.

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Time has destroyed most of the gravestones, but many mazars (tombs) of the Muslim saints have survived. It is visible that somebody is taking care of them. The cemetery is surrounded by a well-built wall. In front of its gate there is a square where people gather during religious celebrations. Huge feasts are held at these occasions where also the poor are invited.

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It is the old cemetery, not the polished, artificial mosque, that the Turkmen visit more often. They come here to pray and thank Allah for the graces bestowed upon them. One of the mazars is a place of pilgrimage for women who cannot have children. They come here to ask the sheikh buried here for help and they bring children’s toys, dolls and small cradles which they leave by his tomb.

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A very moving place…

Information Agency Fergana.Ru is known for its timely and objectively given information about Central Asian countries. Its council of experts includes famous historians, journalists and political analysts from different countries of CIS. The information that Fergana.ru gives is very often used as a credible source in many academic writings. Therefore, it has a big audience both in Central Asia and aboard. As it gives true and objective information, which sometimes reveals the real face of Central Asian ruling elites, some of Central Asian countries, like Uzbekistan, do not tolerate this and block Fergana.ru web site in their territory.

Today, I was looking for some info in internet and Google gave me several links and some of them were links to Fergana.ru’s web site. Before Google was in “good terms� with Fergana.ru and one could open its pages via Search Engine without any problems. However, today Google says that Fergana.ru may harm the computer of a person, who wants to open its pages.

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It is really strange. What do you think: problems with Fergana.ru’s HTML code or hackers, who attached a bad code to its HTML?

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[inspic=62,left,fullscreen,thumb]Good news! Eldar Djangirov’s “re-imagination” recieves 2007 Grammy Nomination for Best Contemporary Jazz Album! Eldar is a Kyrgyzstani guy who is only 20 years old, but he already achieved lots of success in the world of music.

According to the information from his website, Eldar’s path from Bishkek to the United States is the stuff of jazz legend. At nine he performed at a jazz festival Novosibirsk, in Siberia, and impressed the late Charles McWhorter, a New York based jazz patron. McWhorter obtained a scholarship for Eldar to attend summer camp at the prestigious Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan, where he spent each summer between 1998 and 2001. In 1998, he and his parents moved to the U.S., beginning their new life together in Kansas City. Eldar says:

My father worked all around the ex-Soviet Union, and every time he went to Moscow or St. Petersberg, he found a way to get records—that’s how I first heard Oscar Peterson, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock and Bill Evans. In the old USSR, when he was 13 or 14, he heard jazz at night on Voice of America and BBC, and he fell in love with it for life. So from my earliest years, I was constantly hearing music; it was part of the atmosphere, and it became a part of me.

[inspic=63,left,fullscreen,thumb] Eldar simultaneously continues to pursue his education in jazz harmony and improvisation with Kim Park and John Elliott and performs on the international festival, club, and concert circuits. He does not want to be just a piano player, he wants to be a true musician and artist.

I’m going to be playing jazz, or some form of it, for the rest of my life. It encompasses so much; there’s so much room for self-expression.

Photos are taken from www.eldarjazz.com