By Olivia Allison (9/22/2004 issue of the CACI Analyst)

BACKGROUND: Sarsanbaiuly’s resignation was the final step in a long line of strong statements against corruption and media bias toward pro-presidential parties in the run-up to Kazakhstan’s parliamentary elections. In particular, he criticized stations owned by President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s daughter Dariga, including Khabar and KTK, presenting monitoring results that show these stations’ extreme bias in favor of the pro-governmental parties Otan and Asar, while Channel 31 was found to be least biased by a Western-sponsored monitoring project during the campaign. Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek, lost its popular independent TV station Pyramida, when station management sold shares to a government affiliate late this summer.

By Hooman Peimani (9/22/2004 issue of the CACI Analyst)

BACKGROUND: Being surrounded from three sides by hostile or unreliable neighbors, the operational pipeline will meet Armenia’s gas requirements from a friendly neighboring supplier, while significantly increasing Iran\'s gas exports now mainly limited to its uncertain exports to Turkey. The pipeline, which could be extended to Georgia and Ukraine, could go even farther to reach Central and Western Europe via Ukraine. If fully implemented, this will not only increase Iran\'s gas exports substantially, but it will drastically boost the importance of Armenia and Georgia and, by default, the South Caucasus, as a main export route for fossil energy to supply the European economies.

By Robert M. Cutler (9/8/2004 issue of the CACI Analyst)

BACKGROUND: The supergiant Karachaganak condensate and gas field, onshore in northwestern Kazakhstan was discovered in 1979. Production began in 1984. After Kazakhstan became independent, BG (formerly British Gas) and Agip acquired rights to negotiate its development.