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4/26/12

Kazakhstan’s Borat-style promise and peril - Sonia Verma

Kazakhstan, the former Soviet republic in Central Asia, has seen the future, and apparently it resembles Canada’s capital.

“Ottawa is our target. You can walk the streets during the whole of the night, “ Kairat Kelimbetov, the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, said with envy. He was in Canada last week to drum up investment for his homeland, and counter persistent myths that his country is a cauldron of eccentricity.

The latter task was made all the more complicated by recent comments from Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan’s long-time leader, who outlined an ambitious but controversial plan to clean up Astana, his country’s own capital. He ordered police to ticket drivers of unwashed vehicles, crack down on gambling dens and discipline anyone found guilty of the most minor of misdemeanours, such as leaving chewing gum at street crossings. The President explained his strategy was meant reduce Astana’s crime rate, which is 1.7 times the national average.

For more: Kazakhstan’s Borat-style promise and peril - The Globe and Mail

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