Kazakhstan’s New Party Leader Ousts No. 2 Man

MOSCOW — Kazakhstan’s Communist Party leader, whose appointment last month set off rioting, condemned “cronyism” Saturday and ousted a top-ranking ethnic Russian, possibly to cool off nationalistic fervor in the Soviet Union’s Central Asian republic.

Students rampaged in the streets of the republic’s capital city of Alma Ata on Dec. 17-18 after the new party leader, Gennady V. Kolbin, a Russian, was brought in to replace longtime leader Dinmukhamed A. Kunayev, a Kazakh.

Oleg S. Miroshkhin, the official removed Saturday, is a Russian who served as Kunayev’s deputy. His replacement as second secretary appears to be a man of Central Asian nationality.

The move may indicate an effort by Kolbin to appease nationalist sentiments that were initially blamed for last month’s rioting.

The Tass news agency reported from Alma Ata that Miroshkhin was removed in preparation for transfer to another job, but did not say what work he would be doing.

Sagidulla K. Kubashev, party leader in Kazakhstan’s Semipalatinsk region, was named to replace him. Kubashev’s nationality was not mentioned in the Tass report, but his name is of Central Asian extraction.

Several reports in Soviet newspapers Saturday suggested the rioting was less an expression of Kazakh nationalism than a provocation by threatened officials who instigated naive youths.

Tass said Kolbin met with the republic’s Central Committee on Saturday to discuss problems in the economy of Kazakhstan, reputed to be rife with corruption and cronyism.

“Inertia, unwillingness to introduce truly scientific methods of economic management, complacency and sluggishness are prevalent,” Tass said the committee was told by speakers, who were not named.

Tass said Kolbin criticized food supplies and “serious shortcomings” in the selection and placement of officials.

“Appointments are usually made through influence, thanks to family connections and cronyism, workers failing in their jobs are moved from one senior appointment to another. Petty tutelage is practiced and managers of work collections are replaced too often,” the new leader said.