Nazarbayev to personally supervise investigation of Zhanaozen clashes

Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev will personally supervise investigation of Zhanaozen clashes, Tengrinews.kz reports citing the President’s press-service. “Thanks to the unity of Kazakhstan residents, consistent social-economic policy, we have all the needed capacities to exepediently perform all required works on restoration of normal life in Zhanaozen. In this relation I instruct all the state authorities to organize joint and well-coordinated work. Everything should be done quickly, as soon as possible. I will personally control the course of the investigation,” the President said at the meeting in Aktau with participation of the oblast administration, community leaders and representatives of the employees of oil companies. Nazarbayev instructed the government commission led by Umirzak Shukeyev to identify all the reasons that caused the unrest of the workers of Ozenmunaigas and Zhanaozen residents within two weeks and submit suggestions on eliminations of these reasons. General Prosecution Office and Interior Ministry were instructed to take all the required measures to investigate into the criminal cases related to the clashes. The search of all organizers of the riot had to be enhanced; the investigation had to be open and transparent, involving the public commission led by Omirzak Ozganbayev, chairman of the Veterans Council of Mangistau oblast, he instructed. The President noted that the main reasons behind the clashes were the actions of the bandits who took advantage the labor conflict between the fired workers and the management of Ozenmunaigas. The President agreed with the experts saying that Zhanaozen riots are “a planned provocation campaign, which is confirmed by smooth organization and timing”. “There is not a singe country in the world that has not faced any clashes caused by the unprecedented global economic crisis,” the press-service’s message stated. The President arrived in Mangistau oblast on December 22.