Sochi-2014 Olympic budget to comprise 1.8 billion dollars.

VANCOUVER, February 27 (Itar-Tass) -- The budget of the Sochi-2014
Winter Olympic Games will comprise 1.8 billion dollars and organizers have
so far received 1.1 billion, according to organizing committee President
Dmitry Chernyshenko.

"Our task is to balance to the maximum the budget of the Olympic
Games. Our expenses should equal revenues. As for today, the aggregate
income according to the signed contracts comprised 1.1 billion dollars,"
he told a press conference on Friday.
Chernyshenko said he was optimistic about the remaining 0.7 billion.
"Our marketing program is successfully promoted and I hope the
participation of the state in financing the Olympic Games will be minimal
or, possibly, will not be required at all," he said.
The organizing committee works to establish "partnership, not charity
relations" with the business community, according to Chernyshenko, who
cited cooperation with the Russian Railways Company (RZD) as an example.
RZD said it will supply Siemens passenger trains for the Olympic Games.
On Saturday Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will examine RZD plans for
Sochi Olympics and the general investment program of the company up to
2015.
In Sochi he will inspect the proposed RZD projects, which include
upgraded Tuapse-Adler railway, the construction of a railway to sport
facilities in the mountains, as well as to Sochi airport in Adler.
In general RZD plans to invest 270.5 billion rubles in 2010, which is
a 2.9-percent increase against 2009.

.Siemens trains to run at Sochi-2014 Olympics.

VANCOUVER, February 27 (Itar-Tass) -- Thirty-eight Siemens-made trains
will run at Sochi-2014 Winter Olympics, according to contract signed on
Friday between the Russian Railways Company (RZD) and the Sochi-2014
organizing committee.
RZD Senior Vice-President Boris Lapidus told a press conference his
company had signed a contract with Siemens for the construction and
delivery of 38 comfortable trains worth 10 billion dollars each. "During
the Sochi Olympics they will run along the track from Adler to Tuapse, as
well as from Adler to (Olympic facilities) in the mountains" he said.
The trains will carry up to 30 thousand passengers a day.
Lapidus said the contract with Siemens envisages the production of
trains in Russia after the Olympics. They will operate in the south of the
country and in the Far East.
Lapidus said RZD will reconstruct all railway stations along
Tuapse-Sochi-Adler route for the Olympics and they will be fit to service
handicapped people for the first time in Russia.
The company will also build 30 kilometers of new track from Tuapse to
Sochi that will increase the daily traffic to 150 trains there and back.
Lapidus said the construction of all railway facilities for Sochi
Olympics "is monitored by video cameras and transmitted to Moscow.

.Chief CIS observer to meet Tajik leader on election eve.

DUSHANBE, February 27 (Itar-Tass) -- CIS Executive Secretary Sergei
Lebedev, who heads the observer mission at Tajik parliamentary elections
on Sunday, will meet Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon on Saturday to
discuss the course of the campaign and the role of observers in promoting
transparent and free election.
In contrast to 2005 election, the number of competing political
parties increased to eight. The Party of Economic Reforms and the Agrarian
Party are the two newcomers that rival the People's Democratic Party of
President Rakhmon, the Communists, the Social-Democrats, the Socialist and
Democratic Parties, and the Party of Islamic Revival.
Experts believe three "heavyweights" will win seats in parliament -
The People's Democrats, the Communists and the Islamists. The latter have
only two seats in current parliament, but their young and ambitious leader
Muhiddin Kabiri said he hopes to get at least ten seats now. "In case
elections meet democratic standards," he added.
Central Election Commission head Mirzoali Boltuyev told Tass 217
candidates are competing for 63 seats in parliament.
"President of the country Emomali Rakhmon personally acts as the
guarantor of fair and democratic election and demanded his officials to
exclude pressure on political parties and voters and urged judiciary
bodies to rapidly investigate any violation of the election law," Boltuyev
said.
He said his commission had so far received 25 complaints that were
quickly considered.
Over 500 observers from the OSCE, SCO and CIS and other international
and regional organizations will monitor the election.