ASTANA – Self-nominated candidate for the April 26 early presidential election Abelgazy Kussainov presented his environmental and industrial safety oriented platform on March 31.
Abelgazi Kussainov meets with public in Kostanai.
According to Kussainov, putting Kazakhstan on a path of environmentally friendly human development is his number one issue. He demonstrated the need to address the environmental aspects and issues of industrial safety during this transition.
Environmental pollution is becoming an increasingly alarming issue, the platform, published by his campaign in the Kazakhstanskaya Pravda newspaper on March 31 said. Therefore, “today, we need to talk about the environment, not only as a branch of biology, but also in a broader sense,” Kussainov stated.
“Today, we must understand and accept ecology as the science of our own home,” he said.
“People need to understand the laws of the biosphere and be aware of what threatens it. Society should form patterns of behaviour, which do not alter natural ecological processes. Our planet’s rich ecological systems existed before humanity and can survive without it. Nevertheless, humanity cannot exist without the biosphere,” Kussainov said.
According to the candidate, particular attention should be paid to modernising environmental policy and the role of civil society in ensuring a smooth transition to sustained green development. There is a need to develop civic participation in environmental issues and conservation activities.
“Our primary objectives should be starting to use our natural resources in a rational and planned manner, protecting the environment, introducing a planned system of state control, organisinginternational and public events aimed at the rational use, protection and restoration of natural resources and securing Kazakhstan’s material and cultural needs for future generations,” Kussainov noted.
From Kussainov’s point of view, industrial safety issues are important inindustrialised nations. All organisations that operate hazardous production facilities are obliged to follow certain occupational safety measures and environmental regulations. All industries should operate in a manner that minimises their environmental impact, he said..
In 2004, a national law titled On Technical Regulation, which clearly presents product and process safety rules and multi-level standards and certifications, was adopted.
According to Kussainov, his goal is to achieve transparency and effectiveness in implementing these standards. For this reason, there is the necessity to abide by the following points, firstly, establish public control over enterprises to ensure that their products and operations meet safety standards.
Secondly, ensure that technical regulation requirements become binding on more than just paper.
Thirdly, ensure that during construction or industrial development in the agricultural sector, the country’s rich nature and unique landscape do not suffer.
“In my programme, I try to explain the basic idea and meaning of the principles of a clean environment and industrial safety in our country. Our common goal is to create a new, balanced model of development based on the principles of safety and environmentally friendly development for the third millennium,” Kussainov concluded.
Kussainov is a 63-year-old native of the Karaganda region whose career includes various government positions. Kussainov was a member of Kazakhstan’s Senate, the vice-minister of transport and communications and the vice-minister of industry and trade. In 2009, he headed the Ministry of Transport and Communications and three years later, he became the akim (governor) of the Karaganda region. Since Jan. 2013, Kussainov has chaired the country’s Federation of Trade Unions, yet he is running for presidency as a self-nominated candidate.
The Kazakhstan Central Electoral Commission (CEC) officially registered Kussainov as a candidate on March 18. He collected 132,152 valid voter signatures in support of his candidacy. The law requires that at least 93,012 be received. Thus, he became the third official candidate registered after incumbent President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Turgun Syzdykov of the Communist People’s Party of Kazakhstan.
