Voice of Democracy
Published by Kazakhstan 21st Century Foundation · Washington, D.C. ·May, 6, 2004

PRESS BEATING DAY -- Monday may have been World Press Freedom Day in most every other place on earth, but in Kazakhstan it was Press Beating Day -- again. So far this year five journalists have been beaten, according to Tamara Kaleyeva, president of the country's Adil Soz foundation for the protection of freedom of speech, reports Interfax. The Nazarbayev regime is notorious for its hostility toward the media and has been the frequent target of criticism by western governments, human rights groups and journalism organizations. Not just reporters and editors are the targets; their families have often been attacked as well. Kaleyeva said "all such crimes traditionally remain unsolved even if criminal cases have been opened." By contrast, her organization reported 21 instances of criminal prosecution of journalists in 2003 and eight more in the first three months of this year. Two popular criminal accusations levied by the regime are insulting the thin-skinned dictator and trumped-up tax charges. http://www.interfax.com/com?item=Kaz&pg=0&id=5719303&req

DON'T WORRY, TRUST ME -- Any time one of the dictator's spokesmen says everything will be on the up-and-up and you can depend on his good word, start worrying. An advisor to President Nazarbayev, who has a long history of voter fraud and rigged elections -- the United States and the OSCE refused to recognize his last election -- this week ruled out any chance that this year's parliamentary elections will be rigged by the government, according to Interfax. "Any chance of gross falsification" by the government "is out of the question," said Yermukhamet Yertsybayev, because the dictator had told regional governors in march to "get ready for honest and competitive elections without any falsification." Nazarbayev, who may or may not go ahead with presidential elections in December 2006, has in the past either forced rivals into exile or tossed them in jail on charges of corruption, a topic on which he has considerable expertise. http://www.interfax.com/com?item=Kaz&pg=0&id=5719219&req

DIRTY TRICK SEASON OPENS -- The campaign for October's parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan may not have begun yet, but the dirty tricks have, reports RFE/RL. A restrictive new election law has trimmed the number of political parties by more than half, and none of those allowed to register poses a serious threat to the ruling parties. In fact, two of the most prominent are little more than puppets of President Nazarbayev. They are Rukhaniyat (Spirituality) and Asar (All Together). Rukhaniyat’s chairwoman, Altynshash Jaganova, is a well-known writer and worker in state television dating back to the Soviet era. RFE/RL reports, "She and her party are almost wholly supportive of the policies of President Nazarbaev." But that loyalty pales next to Asar's because its leader is Darigha Nazarbaeva, the dictator's daughter and rumored to be his heir apparent. She heads Kazakhstan’s largest media-holding company, Khabar. The Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan party (DVK), which was started by former Nazarbayev officials, appears to be "sinking fast," according to Eurasia Insight. That is due in part to Nazarbayev having two of its leaders jailed on charges of corruption while serving him. Meanwhile the Justice Ministry is investigating its membership rolls to make sure all those listed are legitimate party members. http://www.eurasianet.org

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