RUSSIA THE REASONS WHY ISMAIL Y. YUSUPOV, 48, KNEW THAT HE HAD 
A TOUGH ROW TO HOE WHEN HE WAS NAMED COMMUNIST PARTY 
BOSS IN THE PROBLEM-PLAGUED VIRGIN LANDS OF KAZAHKSTAN (TIME, JAN . 
4) . BUT HE COULD HARDLY HAVE GUESSED THE EXTENT OF 
THE MESS HE WOULD INHERIT FROM HIS PURGED PREDECESSOR . LAST 
WEEK YUSUPOV PUBLISHED A REPORT CHARGING THAT MORE THAN $600 MILLION 
HAD BEEN WASTED DURING THE LAST THREE YEARS ON ILLCONCEIVED PROJECTS 
; NO FEWER THAN 16,139 REGIONAL OFFICIALS WERE FIRED LAST YEAR 
ALONE, 2,340 OF THEM FOR STEALING AND EMBEZZLING $1,270,000 . A 
GANG OF CROOKS LED BY THE CHIEF OF THE TSELINOGRAD TRADE 
BOARD FAKED REPORTS, RIGGED PHONY PRICES, AND SOLD MEAT, BUTTER AND 
AUTOMOBILES ON THE BLACK MARKET ; IN PAVLODAR, THREE MEN MANAGED 
TO MAKE OFF WITH NO FEWER THAN 300,000 BOTTLES OF WINE 
AND VODKA . THE ENTIRE PARTY AND GOVERNMENT LEADERSHIP OF THE 
KZYL ORDA REGION MASTERMINDED A RING OF CATTLE RUSTLERS ; THE 
LOCAL COMMUNIST CHIEF ORGANIZED BLACKJACK GAMES AND SET OFF AN " 
EPIDEMIC OF GAMBLING . " SINCE YUSUPOV'S OWN HEAD WAS NOW 
ON THE BLOCK, THERE WAS ALMOST A PLAINTIVE NOTE IN HIS 
CONCLUDING QUESTION : " CAN ONE BE EXPECTED TO ACHIEVE GOOD 
FARMING RESULTS UNDER SUCH CONDITIONS ? " HE HAD A READY 
ANSWER : " OF COURSE NOT, " FOR THIS KIND OF 
THING EXPLAINED WHY KAZAHKSTAN LAST YEAR DELIVERED 8.2 MILLION TONS OF 
GRAIN TO THE STATE INSTEAD OF THE PLANNED 14.1 MILLION TONS 
. 