FACES BEHIND NAZARBAYEV
Discussionon the controversial project fashionable ski resort (GLA)"Kokzhaylyau" in a conservation area in the Ile Alatau unfolded inlate 2011, in 2013 its intensity markedly increased. Now observers are wondering who did manage toright on the first day of the new, 2014 to try to enlist the "good"by President Nazarbayev. Environmentalactivists say that the construction of the resort in a reserved location in thefoothills deprive metropolis Almaty last flow of fresh air.
Fordiscussion in the middle of last year and joined some opposition politicians,who began to talk about "corruption component" megaproject. The draft GLA "Kokzhaylyau" - 2.7hectare alpine village with hotels, restaurants, resorts and other components,63 kilometers of ski slopes area of 185 hectares, 16 chair lifts. The planned capacity of the resort - 10,200skiers per day. Implementation of theproject will cost the treasury about $455 million, and private investors about$900 million.
And here's a new impetus to discussions seems to give a"personal opinion" of the President of Kazakhstan. Nazarbayev said:
"Theproject is a new ski resort is important for our entire country. Tourism development in Almaty and region willprovide an additional approximately 100,000 jobs. The dynamic development of the city dependson the rational use of our mountains. Inmany European countries, people are taught from an early age to wintersports. Tourist attracted to the skiresort brings in 6 times more income than a tourist visiting the country andthe warm sea."
In thephoto, which was given to the official news, in the frame next to the presidentof the country - the banker Nurjan Subkhanberdin (one of the shareholders"KKB"), giving further food for speculation about what financialinstitution will participate in the project.
The newstriggered a flurry of heated discussions on the Internet. Followed by many comments as reprints invarious media and social networks. Especially on Facebook. The mostheated discussion was on the page Marat Igali - Chairman of the Committee of thetourism industry of the Ministry of industry and new technologies. Today there is a news about the opinion ofthe president has left more than 500 comments.
Among themand saying prominent opposition politician Serikzhan Mambetalin:"President is an information blockade. That slipped, and then sign it. And it enjoys the ambience. Donot give objective information. Lawsuitdefenders Kokzhaylyau not taken into consideration. No argument for not building. It only needs kazku and construction companies. Adventure, for which Subkhanberdin withZhumasheva answer. When the presidentwill change."
Words of thehead of the press service of "Kokzhaylyau" Bekjan Idrissova onFacebook were trying to reduce the intensity of the discussion.
"Accordingto the draft GLA QL - strange that discuss here what yet. The project is not yet ready! Nobody knows exactly where and what will bebuilt, because the project is just created! Will continue to state expertise, which will conclude on compliance withproject standards / SNIP / legislation, "- writes Bekzhan Idris.
Therepresentative of the Ecological Society "Green Salvation" SvetlanaSpatar in a telephone conversation with a reporter commented Azattyk discussthe news:
Inprinciple, the President's statement was not unexpected. Until two years ago, it became clear that heknows about the project and a positive attitude towards it. This is the first. Second - will still be state approvalprocedure of this project, which will be held after the environmentalassessment of the environmental impact. As part of this must pass one more public hearings. Then it will be carried out state ecologicalexpertise. And just stateexpertise. That is actually saying thatthe decision is made and the issue resolved, it is impossible. Well, yes, the president looked. But the last word for the state ecologicalexpertise.
HOPE dialogue platform
Sincemid-summer last year in discussions about HCA "Kokzhaylyau" activelyparticipates and opposition politician Petr Svoik. He comes from the fact that the politicaldecision has already been made on the project and the maximum that can still bedone - to create a dialogue platform between supporters and opponentsproject. January 4 this year, he postedon Facebook, the project initiators of the founding statement of public expertcouncil "Kokzhaylyau."
Objective ofthe Council can formulate one of the suggestions from the text: "There isno doubt that the exchange of views, arguments and proposals, if not preventthe implementation of public decision-making is not supported, thensubstantially reduce the possible negative impact."
Below thetext are the names of a number of activists "Protecting Kokzhaylyau"and several of Almaty residents, most of whom have repeatedly spoken outagainst the construction of GLA on Kokzhaylyau (eg, environmental activist MelsEleusizov). Names of representativesEcological Society "Green Salvation" underneath no. Azattyk correspondent asked to comment on thefact his representative Svetlana Spatar.
We do notagree to discuss the construction project, - she says. - We oppose the construction of the nationalpark. Therefore, it makes no sense toenter this advice. What's to discuss? How will cut down trees? Or whatever will build the road?
Many Almatyresidents are concerned that may occur with the nature of the tract in the caseof construction Kokzhaylyau GLA. Inaddition, according to opponents of GLA on Kokzhaylyau this project iseconomically untenable.
During thepast year, supporters and opponents of GLA "Kokzhaylyau" engaged inexpanding the range of people who support their position. The number of those who signed an open letteragainst HCA on Kokzhaylyau the end of 2013 grew to over nine thousandpeople. Supporters of the project isless than a year collected, say proponents, 10,000 signatures - mainly amongthe students of universities of Almaty, in the medium and disabledsoldiers-internationalists. If an openletter against the names of the signatories GLA is publicly available on theInternet, the signatures in support of the resort nobody, except for a narrowcircle of people have not seen. Torequests opponents see the list signatories was rejected. Last summer, a group of activists in Almatyfor a project to build HCA "Kokzhaylyau" Addressed to the ComplianceCommittee of the Aarhus Convention, the European Economic Commission.
