UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASTANA 000350
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, SOCI, KDEM, KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: PRIME MINISTER MASIMOV BECOMES COUNTRY'S MOST
DISTINGUISHED BLOGGER
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (SBU) SUMMARY: In a surprising development, Kazakhstan's Prime
Minister Karim Masimov recently posted an edition of opposition
paper "Respublika" on his government blog. This is the latest move
in Masimov's blogging experiment, which is aimed at using the latest
technology to increase communication with the population and to
build up the government's image of openness. Since going live on
January 1, Masimov's blog has grown in popularity, with readers
raising a wide range of issues. Masimov addresses some of the
issues himself and delegates others to his ministers. On his order,
all the ministers except Foreign Minister Tazhin have also started
blogs. Masimov's blogging initiative has been welcomed by the media
and readers, although there are skeptics who say this is just a
public relations stunt. END SUMMARY.
PRIME MINISTER POSTS OPPOSITION PAPER
3. (SBU) On February 20, in a move that surprised many in the media
community, Prime Minister Karim Masimov posted an edition of the
opposition newspaper "Respublika" on his government web-log. The
posting came after the editors of "Respublika" wrote to Masimov on
February 4 to complain that their printers in Astana were refusing
to print the newspaper. Masimov replied that he had no control over
the decisions of private businesses and offered the paper space on
his blog. "Respublika" initially declined, but, after the paper's
Internet website was taken down by a cyber-attack on February 13,
wrote to Masimov again to take him up on his offer. With a note of
"I am a man of my word," Masimov posted the paper's most recent
edition in four Adobe PDF files. The move was welcomed by the
blog's readers, who in their comments commended the Prime Minister
for "keeping his word" and for being the first government official
"who is not afraid of the opposition press." In fact, the edition
of "Respublika" Masimov posted includes an article that accuses him
of making money for himself through his advance knowledge of the
tenge's February 4 devaluation.
MASIMOV'S BLOGGING EXPERIMENT
3. (SBU) Posting the paper that does not shy away from criticizing
the government is just the latest move in Masimov's experiment of
using technology to reach out to regular Kazakhstanis and create an
image of government openness. Masimov launched his blog on January
1, when he invited people to share their concerns and promised to
read their comments personally. The initiative proved widely
popular, with readers posting messages in both Kazakh and Russian on
everything from the poor quality of water in Stepenogorsk and
heating problems for schools in Shymkent to the status of the Kazakh
language, the devaluation of the tenge, and the current economic
crisis. Masimov has kept up a lively exchange with his readers,
addressing some of their concerns personally and demanding action
from his ministers on others. For example, during a recent Cabinet
meeting he berated Justice Minister Baliyeva for the large number of
complaints he received over the quality of services of her ministry.
In another instance, Masimov personally visited the public bath in
Astana that bloggers said was unsanitary. It should be noted,
however, that Masimov is selective about which issues he addresses
-- he chose to leave unanswered the questions about the periodic
blocking of a popular blogging website, LiveJournal, which is a site
where President Nazarbayev's former son-in-law, Rakhat Aliyev, posts
comments derogatory of the President.
OTHER MINISTERS FOLLOW SUIT
4. (SBU) On January 12, Masimov ordered that all ministers create
blogs in order to "establish personal interaction with the people."
As of today, all the ministers expect Foreign Minister Tazhin have
blogs on a government portal, which can be found at
http://blogs.e.gov.kz. (NOTE: Tazhin reports directly to President
Nazarbayev rather than to Masimov. END NOTE.) Agriculture Minister
Kurishbayev's blog quickly became one of the most
frequently-visited, as readers from rural areas uploaded their most
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burning questions. Observers note that the most substantive blogs
are those run by the Finance Minister Zhamishev and Economy and
Budget Planning Minister Sultanov. Emergency Minister Bozhko is
said to be the second-quickest responder after the Prime Minister.
The government official that has received the most praise from blog
aficionados is Agency for Government Services Chairman Aryn
Orsariyev, a 32-year-old graduate of the "Bolashak" program which
sends Kazakhstanis to study abroad at government expense. Users of
Orsaliyev's blog can see his photographs, join his group of friends,
and look through his personal notes.
A WELCOME INITIATIVE
5. (SBU) The Prime Minister's blogging experiment has stirred up a
lively discussion in the media. Overall, the reaction is quite
positive, with many commentators welcoming the step towards openness
in the government. There are some skeptics, however, who see it as
a public-relations move designed to gain for him a reputation for
openness and allow critics to "blow off steam," while the overall
political system still remains fundamentally undemocratic. Others
criticize Masimov for failing to put his "personal touch" to the
postings, saying his blog is nothing more than a national "book for
customer complaints." Nevertheless, Masimov's blog has become one
of the most frequently-visited government websites, receiving over
one hundred comments a day from teachers, students, government
employees, and businessmen.
6. (SBU) COMMENT: The blogging activities of Masimov and his
ministers set Kazakhstan well apart from its neighbors in using the
latest technology to communicate with the public and interact with
civil society. We do not have enough information to judge whether
elements of the government are responsible for blocking
"Respublika's" website, although it is not inconceivable that one of
the intelligence services could do so. That Masimov -- who is
considered one of the government's liberals -- posted the
"Respublika" edition following the blockage is perhaps an indication
not just that he is a man of his word, but also that he wanted to
send a signal that he disapproves of the blockage. If so, it would
seem that President Nazarbayev, the ultimate arbiter of what is
allowed and what is not, is tolerating an unusual amount of open
diversity at the upper-most levels of the government. END COMMMENT.
HOAGLAND