"Communism is Soviet power and the electrification of the whole
country!" This was one of Lenin's rallying cries during the early
days the Communist revolution. The electrification of the country
was so closely identified with modernizing the former Soviet Union
that some women still bear the name Elektrifikasiya, given to them
by ardent Party-supporting parents.
Since the collapse of communism the equation has been rearranged:
without Soviet power, electricity production also disappeared. All
the countries of eastern Europe are struggling to reform their
dilapidated utility sectors, but Kazakhstan is among the few that
has made any progress.
Catastrophe steeled the government's mettle to act, and act
decisively. In 1996 and 1997 rampant corruption and non-payment
caused two power and heat plants to close down in the depths of the
icy winter of central Asia's steppes.
Fuel supplies are largely in the hands of commercial companies and
with no cash coming...
