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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015 ANALYSIS THE LEADING INDEPENDENT DAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF ESTABLISHED 1961 Founder and Publisher YOUSUF S. AL-ALYAN Editor-in-Chief ABD AL-RAHMAN AL-ALYAN EDITORIAL : 24833199-24833358-24833432 ADVERTISING : 24835616/7 FAX : 24835620/1 CIRCULATION : 24833199 Extn. 163 ACCOUNTS : 24835619 COMMERCIAL : 24835618 P.O.Box 1301 Safat,13014 Kuwait. E MAIL :[email protected] Website: www.kuwaittimes.net Issues The Myanmar election: What we know so far yanmar’s opposition looked poised yes- terday for a landslide poll win, but even if MAung San Suu Kyi’s party does form a majority, governing a impoverished nation where the military retains huge influence will be no mean feat. Here’s what we know so far about the election and what it means for the nascent democracy. Who won? Right now it’s hard to say unequivocally, as full results aren’t in. But from the few seats declared, Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party is sweeping the board. Her party has won 78 Putin’s daughters and Russian 2nd-generation elite of the 88 seats announced so far in the lower house, which has a total of 323 seats up for grabs. By Stephen Grey, Andrey Kuzmin and a second generation inheriting the status of the rapid progress since her Oriental studies as an The university’s rector, Sadovnichy, said in a They have done particularly well in their Yangon Elizabeth Piper current circle around Putin. “Many in society undergraduate. May 2014 presentation published on the uni- stronghold, taking all the city’s declared seats, as think they haven’t worked for it, and they ques- According to the website of Moscow State versity website that NIDF, along with other enti- well as making strong gains in the important ince Vladimir Putin began cementing his tion who these people really are,” she said. University, she is attached to the Mechanics and ties, would be tasked with conducting an Mandalay region. And they’ve even taken a few grip on Russia in the 1990s, many of his Among other children of the Putin circle Mathematics Faculty. Under the name expert review of the expansion of the university. seats in Myanmar’s ethnic minority regions. That Sfriends have grown famously rich. Not so with growing influence are: Boris Kovalchuk, Tikhonova, she is listed as an author, along with Tikhonova’s role is to confer with and represent suggests the NLD may mop up in regions where the president himself, say his supporters, who son of Yuri Kovalchuk, the largest shareholder of other academics, of a chapter in a maths text the views of the wider business community, she many thought the vote was more likely to go to insist Putin is above the money grab that has Bank Rossiya and a close Putin associate; Gleb book and at least six scientific papers since told Interfax in an interview this month. The smaller ethnic parties. The NLD is also dominating marked his reign. His public financial disclosures Frank, son of former transport minister Sergei 2011. The papers include studies on medicines $1.7 billion expansion plan involves both public many regional parliamentary seats — 142 out of depict a man of modest means. In April, Putin Frank and son-in-law of commodity billionaire and space travel; one is listed as a study of how and private funding, and aims to double the 162 declared so far-which could give them signifi- declared an income for 2014 of 7.65 million rou- Timchenko; Igor Rotenberg, son of the billion- the human body reacts to zero gravity. Most of size of the university campus by 2018 with new cant influence over important local authorities. bles ($119,000). He listed the ownership of two aire Arkady Rotenberg, Putin’s former judo part- the papers were co-authored with the universi- laboratories, academic buildings, schools, stu- There are a total of 652 regional parliamentary modest apartments and a share in a car parking ner; Sergei S Ivanov, son of Kremlin Chief of Staff ty rector, Viktor Sadovnichy. He did not respond dent accommodation, and a museum. seats to fill. No upper house results have been garage. Sergei B Ivanov. directly to requests for comment, but the uni- The NIDF did not respond to a request for released yet, nor do we know yet whether Suu Kyi His daughter Katerina is doing considerably In an interview with Reuters, Alexei Navalny, versity issued a statement. comment. In an email, Innopraktika referred has won in her own constituency of Kawhmu. better, supported by some of the Russian presi- a Russian opposition leader, described what he It said Tikhonova had proved to be a “talent- questions about its activities to Moscow State dent’s wealthy friends, a Reuters examination called a “neo-feudal system” that threatens to ed researcher” who had “reported results of her University and said it could not comment on shows. After unconfirmed media speculation dominate state offices and big business. “Today research at scientific seminars and conferences Tikhonova’s private life. The university said in a Will NLD form the next govt? about Katerina’s identity, a senior Russian figure in Russia, it is absolutely normal that the boards many times.” The statement added: “We do not statement that many people were involved in At the current rate of results, it certainly looks told Reuters that she uses the surname of directors at state banks are headed by chil- have information about the private life of its expansion plan, including university like it. Under Myanmar’s complicated 2008 military- Tikhonova. Andrey Akimov, deputy chairman of dren of security service officials, who aren’t even employees.” Tikhonova is also the director of employees and outside experts. According to crafted constitution, the NLD needs to take at least Russian lender Gazprombank, said he had met 30 years old when they are appointed,” he said. two initiatives connected to the university, the Russian state public records, since 2013 the 67 percent of seats in both the lower and upper Katerina when she was little and more recently, “It is more than just a dynastic succession. National Intellectual Development Foundation NIDF has won contracts worth 182 million rou- houses to form a government. Its rivals, the army- and that Tikhonova was Putin’s daughter. Children don’t just inherit their parents’ posts, (NIDF) and the National Intellectual Reserve bles ($2.8 million) from Rosneft, Rosatom and backed Union Solidarity and Development Party Reuters has also learned that earlier this year but also the right to choose any other post they Centre (NIRC). She became director of the non- Transneft, all state-owned companies. Of 10 (USDP), only needs to win a third. That’s because a Katerina, 29, described herself as the “spouse” of fancy. The danger is that very soon all key profit NIDF in May 2013 and later became direc- contracts reviewed by Reuters, eight were quarter of seats in the legislature are reserved for Kirill Shamalov, son of Nikolai Shamalov, a long- resources will end up in the hands of five to sev- tor of the NIRC as well. awarded without competitive tender. The con- military appointees. In a BBC interview yesterday, time friend of the president. Shamalov senior is en families.” The NIRC and NIDF created and run a project tracts were mostly to carry out research at the Suu Kyi said she believed the NLD were on track to a shareholder in Bank Rossiya, which US officials Reuters asked the Kremlin whether Katerina at the university called Innopraktika, which is university. take 75 percent of seats, which would push her par- have described as the personal bank of the Tikhonova was the daughter of Putin and also headed by Tikhonova. It sponsors and sup- Transneft declined to comment. A ty well over the 67 percent threshold. Challenges Russian elite. As husband and wife, Kirill and spokesman for Rosatom said: “Rosatom cooper- ahead? Firstly, Suu Kyi can’t be president-she is cur- Katerina would have corporate holdings worth ates with Innopraktika as well as other institu- rently forbidden from taking the top spot under about $2 billion, according to estimates provid- tions ... As part of its strategy Rosatom aims at the constitution, which bans those with foreign ed to Reuters by financial analysts. That wealth developing new projects.” He said contracts children. Her two sons are British. stems mainly from a large publicly disclosed were awarded openly and transparently. A Secondly, even if she forms a majority, any stake in a major gas and petrochemical compa- spokesman for the oil company Rosneft said it major constitutional reform is going to be very ny that Kirill acquired from Gennady was cooperating with Moscow State University difficult. The army bloc within the legislature can Timchenko, another longtime friend of Putin. on 17 projects that were worth a total of 530 Also among the young couple’s holdings is a million roubles. effectively veto any changes to the charter. That seaside villa in Biarritz, France, estimated to be In March 2015, Tikhonova was appointed as means a Suu Kyi presidency remains a distant worth about $3.7 million. That asset, too, was a deputy vice-rector of the university. It is not prospect-an obstruction the powerhouse politi- acquired by Kirill from Timchenko, a commodi- known whether the post pays a salary. cian cryptically vowed to circumnavigate by being ties trader who has known the president since Tikhonova’s role in the expansion project, “above the president”. A third issue is that the mili- at least the 1990s. Katerina is also thriving in though not her family tie to Putin, was laid out tary still holds other constitutional cards, includ- academia and running publicly funded projects in a report in January by Russian business news ing the top security posts at the home, defense at Moscow State University.