This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS  ALMATY 000079 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/CACEN (JMUDGE) 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KZ POLITICAL
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: BAYMENOV LOOKS TOWARD ASTANA 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  Unsuccessful Ak Zhol presidential 
candidate Alikhan Baymenov is moving to reorganize his 
party, with the goal of occupying the Mazhilis seat it won 
in 2004 elections and engaging the GOK in discussion of 
political reform.  The party also intends to take part in 
the Democratization Commission that President Nazarbayev has 
promised to establish after the inauguration.  Ak Zhol's 
priorities are diversification of the mass media, reform of 
Parliament, and reform of the judiciary.  Baymenov says that 
he will look to someone else in the Ak Zhol leadership to 
represent the party in Parliament, raising the question of 
whether he is angling for a GOK appointment in the 
inevitable post-inaugural cabinet reshuffle.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (U) The Ambassador met with Ak Zhol presidential 
candidate Alikhan Baymenov on December 29 in Almaty to 
review the election campaign and discuss Baymenov's plans 
for the future.  POEC chief also participated. 
 
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Presidential Elections 
---------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Baymenov commented briefly on the December 4 
presidential elections, but clearly seemed more interested 
in discussing the future.  Noting that Ak Zhol had described 
the elections as legitimate but not clean in its public 
statement, Baymenov claimed that both turnout figures and 
the vote total for Nazarbayev had been artificially inflated 
through the use of administrative resources.  Nazarbayev had 
actually received 60-65% of the vote rather than 91%, 
according to the challenger. In one precinct where according 
to the official results only seven people voted for him, 
Baymenov claimed that there were 50 people ready to testify 
in court that they had cast their ballots for him. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Baymenov told the Ambassador that in his home 
village in the Zhezkazgan region, local authorities gathered 
everyone together and threatened to close the primary local 
employer, a Kazakhmys facility employing 200 people, if 
local residents voted for Baymenov.  He had not filed a 
complaint because there was "no point." 
 
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Ak Zhol's Plans for the Future 
------------------------------ 
 
¶5. (SBU) The leadership of Ak Zhol met in Astana on December 
28 to agree on next steps, according to Baymenov.  They 
agreed to undertake a one-month review of the party's 
program and relations with other parties and organizations. 
They also agreed to reduce the number of paid staff. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Following this review period, Ak Zhol intends to 
cooperate with the GOK on reform, according to Baymenov. 
The party will likely take the seat in the Mazhilis that it 
won in 2004 parliamentary elections.  Baymenov, who had been 
first on the party list and had refused to take the seat due 
to the GOK's failure to address procedural violations, 
explained that the party leadership had agreed that it was 
important to use the seat to initiate legislation and 
advocate on behalf of constituents.  Baymenov said that he 
would probably not occupy the seat himself; any of the 13 Ak 
Zhol leaders who had been on the party list and who remained 
in the party would be eligible. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Baymenov added that Ak Zhol will probably 
participate in the Democratization Commission that 
Nazarbayev had promised to establish following the 
inauguration.   He said that he himself had proposed the 
idea of such a commission to Nazarbayev a year and a half 
ago. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Ak Zhol's priorities, according to Baymenov, will 
be to push for de-monopolization of the mass media, reform 
of the Parliament, and increased independence for the 
judiciary.  Judicial reform, possibly including the election 
of some judges, would help address the problem of corruption 
and impose increased responsibility on government officials 
to perform their duties.  He said that he was optimistic 
about the prospects for reform of Parliament, given 
Nazarbayev's statements about expanding the Mazhilis.  Such 
reform would increase the competition among parties, thereby 
revitalizing the political environment and encouraging 
companies to support political parties.  Baymenov stated 
that the Senate played no meaningful role and should be 
abolished; at the same time, an Audit Chamber should be 
created.  With regard to demonopolization of the mass media, 
Baymenov said it was not realistic to expect fast change.  A 
realistic first step might be to create a public committee 
 
to oversee state television channel Kazakhstan 1.  Ak Zhol 
had also discussed the direct election of local akims, but 
had not included it as a priority due to the likelihood that 
Nazarbayev would not agree. 
 
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Comment 
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¶9. (SBU) Comment:  Baymenov's assertion that he will not 
take Ak Zhol's seat in Parliament, despite the fact that he 
is the party's only well-known leader, raises the 
possibility that he is keeping himself available for a GOK 
position after the expected post-inaugural cabinet 
reshuffle.  His muted reaction to electoral violations and 
renewed willingness to engage with the GOK, combined with an 
offhand comment about how much his family wants to move to 
Astana, could indicate that Baymenov is hoping for 
recognition of his restrained approach during the campaign. 
Time will tell.  End comment. 
 
ORDWAY 
 
 
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