Comments on: No commitments http://www.neweurasia.net/politics-and-society/no-commitments/ Sun, 05 Feb 2012 12:39:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Global Voices Online » Kazakhstan: No commitments http://www.neweurasia.net/politics-and-society/no-commitments/comment-page-1/#comment-2690 Global Voices Online » Kazakhstan: No commitments Tue, 08 Jul 2008 06:43:30 +0000 http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2008/07/02/no-commitments/#comment-2690 [...] reports that General Secretary of the Parliamentary Assembly of OSCE R. Oliver Spencer has said in Astana [...] [...] reports that General Secretary of the Parliamentary Assembly of OSCE R. Oliver Spencer has said in Astana [...]

]]> By: Turgai Sangar http://www.neweurasia.net/politics-and-society/no-commitments/comment-page-1/#comment-2691 Turgai Sangar Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:33:11 +0000 http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2008/07/02/no-commitments/#comment-2691 Pffff. :) Well, that is the beginning of the end of the OSCE--which is basically what Russia and Kazakhstan want by hollowing it out from the inside. First, Kazakhstan may not be the worst in the region and perfection indeed does not exist, yet its regime is basically a refutal of everything the OSCE stands for: an oil sultanate run by a presidential family and its cronies; a one-party state following parliamentary elections declared dodgy by the very same OSCE; and a recent histroy of shabby elections and political murders. Secondly, a precedent has been set. If Kazakhstan will chair the OSCE, what is the problem with a police state like Uzbekistan chairing the OSCE? A few cosmetic 'reforms' and we're set. Or for the recognition of Transnistria? Third, in terms of credibility among Central Asia's population of the West as guarantor of human rights and democracy: konets filma. One more example of how Western oil and gas pragmatism ends up turning against the West. Pffff. :) Well, that is the beginning of the end of the OSCE–which is basically what Russia and Kazakhstan want by hollowing it out from the inside.

First, Kazakhstan may not be the worst in the region and perfection indeed does not exist, yet its regime is basically a refutal of everything the OSCE stands for: an oil sultanate run by a presidential family and its cronies; a one-party state following parliamentary elections declared dodgy by the very same OSCE; and a recent histroy of shabby elections and political murders.

Secondly, a precedent has been set. If Kazakhstan will chair the OSCE, what is the problem with a police state like Uzbekistan chairing the OSCE? A few cosmetic ‘reforms’ and we’re set. Or for the recognition of Transnistria?

Third, in terms of credibility among Central Asia’s population of the West as guarantor of human rights and democracy: konets filma. One more example of how Western oil and gas pragmatism ends up turning against the West.

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