US embassy cable - 05ALMATY3455

UNCLAS  ALMATY 003455 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, KZ, 2005 Election, POLITICAL 
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION ROUNDDUP, 
OCTOBER 4 
 
1. (U) This is the third in a series of weekly election 
roundups, in advance of Kazakhstan's December 4, 2005 
presidential elections. Items were drawn primarily from 
the local press and media. 
 
Pre-Registration of Candidates 
------------------------------ 
 
2. (U) As of October 4, the Central Election Commission 
(CEC) had received 18 applications for registration from 
would-be candidates for presidency.  Five have been 
disqualified for failing to pass the Kazakh proficiency 
test.  Thirteen candidates have met the requirements for 
candidacy. Before October 3 the would-be candidates have 
to collect about 85,000 signatures in support of their 
candidacy. The registration of successful would-be 
candidates will last from October 3 to October 24. The 
election campaign will start on October 25. 
 
3. (SBU) As of October 4, Tuyakbay had collected more than 
160,000 signatures. According to Tuyakbay, local 
authorities were putting obstacles in the way of his 
team's signature collection efforts by intimidating the 
collectors and forcing the electorate to give false 
information to the collectors. Tuyakbay also complained 
about the broad coverage the press and electronic media 
was giving to President Nazarbayev. 
 
4. (U) On September 29 CEC chairman Onalsyn Zhumabekov 
rebuked Tuyakbay for alleging that the authorities 
encouraged many candidates to run for presidency. 
Zhumabekov said: "It is absolutely an incorrect statement. 
According to the constitution, any eligible person may run 
for presidency." 
 
Election Preparations 
--------------------- 
 
5. (U) The CEC continued with its routine procedures in 
preparation for the elections. On September 28, the 
earlier approved rules for pre-election campaigning in the 
media were published. The CEC also announced its final 
decision on the use of e-voting at 1475 of 9697 precincts, 
about 16 per cent of all regional (oblast) centers 
including the cities of Almaty, Astana, Semipalatinsk, 
Zhezkazgan, Ekibastuz, Temirtau and Rudny.  The decision 
was made in spite of objections by opposition parties. 
 
6. (U) The CEC issued a resolution to increase cooperation 
with media outlets in order to provide equal access to 
information and unbiased coverage of the elections and 
will operate a press center at the CEC. At the same time 
the CEC imposed closer control over media publications on 
elections with an ad hoc group set up at the CEC 
responsible for monitoring the media. 
 
7. (U) The CEC also announced its decision that all 
candidates will be required to keep their campaign funds 
in Halyk Bank. Earlier, FJK leader Zharmakhan Tuyakbay 
filed a lawsuit against the CEC for choosing Halyk Bank 
without holding a tender as required by law.  The Supreme 
Court dismissed the lawsuit and the CEC reaffirmed its 
decision to use Halyk Bank. 
 
Opposition Raises Illegal Privatizations 
---------------------------------------- 
 
8. (U) At an Almaty press conference on September 22, the 
leaders of the For a Just Kazakhstan opposition block 
raised the issue of the alleged illegal privatization of 
many of Kazakhstan's major enterprises in the late 1990s. 
According to an anti-corruption commission set up by the 
opposition block, enterprises illegally privatized in 1997 
included the major copper giant "Balkhashmys" and 
Dzhezkazgan City power supply company. In addition, the 
opposition urged the government to purchase the Shymkent 
refinery from PetroKazakhstan and 51% of its shares before 
permitting the sale of the company to the Chinese CNPC oil 
giant.  The opposition leaders also suggested that the 
sale of 49% of shares of KazMunayGas subsidiary 
"Exploration and Extraction" should be suspended. 
 
Parties Support Nazarbayev 
-------------------------- 
 
9. (SBU) President Nazarbayev appears to be using the 
nomination campaign as an opportunity for more informal 
campaigning around the country. On September 23, the Civic 
Party held its party meeting in Pavlodar, and on September 
28, the Agrarian party in Petropavlovsk announced it would 
formally nominate Nazarbayev as their candidate. 
President Nazarbayev attended both meetings, which took on 
the air of well-funded rallies in support of his 
candidacy.  The smaller Aul and Patriots' parties, along 
with a number of public organizations ranging from the 
Union of Writers to the Trade Union of Communication 
Workers, also announced their support of Nazarbayev 
candidacy. According to the Otan leader Bakhytzhan 
Zhumagulov, over 170 organizations have joined the 
Kazakhstan People's Coalition in support of Nazarbayev. 
 
Parliament 
---------- 
 
10. (SBU) Parliamentarians are becoming more involved in 
this campaign than in previous years.  On September 28, 
leaders of pro-presidential parties met with MPs to 
encourage them to serve as Nazarbayev's formal 
representatives in the December 4 elections. Otan's acting 
leader Zhumagulov has assured MPs that this is allowed by 
current legislation. They can work closely with the 
electorate and disclose and resolve potential problems. 
The majority of Mazhilis members reportedly showed 
eagerness take on this role.  Following Dariga 
Nazarbayeva's call that the elections should be used as a 
powerful instrument for the implementation of MPs' own 
agenda - construction of housing and roads, water supply, 
etc. - MPs began with debate on the draft 2006 national 
budget. 
 
11. (U) A few voices in Parliament have come out in 
support of the opposition.  Member of the Mazhilis Tokhtar 
Aubakirov issued a statement criticizing Vremya Print for 
refusing to print opposition newspapers without any 
explanation or notice.  MP Aubakirov formally requested 
that Minister of Culture, Information and Sports Yeset 
Kosubayev look into this incident of "an information 
blockade" of candidates and violation of media and 
election legislation.  In a surprising move, Tokhtarkhan 
Nurakhmetov, one of the initiators of the recent national 
security amendments and the NGO legislation, called on his 
colleagues to treat all candidates with due respect. 
 
Criticism of the Opposition 
--------------------------- 
 
12. (U) There has been significant criticism of opposition 
parties by the CEC and pro-presidential parties.  CEC 
Chairman Zhumabekov and Otan leader Zhumagulov criticized 
Tuyakbay's statement that the nomination of many 
candidates was set up by the government.  On September 28, 
Mazhilis member Mikhail Troshikhin alleged that FJK was 
bribing voters in order to obtain signatures in support of 
Tuyakbay.  On September 29, three Almaty students held a 
press conference to allege that they were forced to 
participate in opposition meetings by threats and deceit. 
 
Mass Media Charter for a Fair Election 
-------------------------------------- 
 
13. (U) Twenty two pro-government mass media outlets, 
including Kazakhstanskaya Pravda and Yegemendy Kazakstan 
national daily newspapers, and Khabar and Kazakhstan TV 
channels (broadcasting nationwide), have signed a mass 
media charter committing: 
- to prevent the use of "dirty" political technologies and 
compromising warfare, 
- to contribute to holding free and fare election, 
- to conduct professional activities in accordance with 
current legislation and ethical norms of civic society, 
- to provide every candidate with an equal opportunity to 
express his(her) point of view, 
- to prevent the dissemination of derogatory information 
that damages the dignity and honor of candidates, 
- to prevent the use of election technologies in the 
interest of political extremists and criminals, 
- to follow the principle that it is the voter's job to 
make a choice, and 
- to only provide factual materials and not force their 
own opinions or assessments. 
 
 
Opposition Papers Lose Printing House 
------------------------------------- 
 
14. (U) On September 28, the editors-in-chiefs of 
opposition newspapers Svododa Slova, Epokha, Apta-kz, 
Pravda Kazakhstana, Zhuma-Times, Soz, and Azat newspapers 
announced a hunger strike in protest of the private Vremya 
printing house's sudden cancellations of their contracts. 
The opposition saw the cancellation as a politically 
motivated step in the run-up to the presidential election. 
In response, two printing houses, Dauir and Asia-press, 
offered their services.  On September 29 the opposition 
newspapers' editors-in-chiefs reached an agreement with 
Svetlana Nazarbayeva, the director of government- 
controlled Dauir Printing House. 
 
ORDWAY 
 
 
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