A Day in Kazakhstan's Election Campaign According to State News

Kazakhstan’s election officials like to claim that state-controlled media presents equal coverage of all candidates in the upcoming April 3 presidential elections. Yesterday's Kazakh-language evening news on state-run Khabar is an example of just how “fair and balanced” the campaign is presented.

As usual, President Nursultan Nazarbayev dominates the headlines. The first item is a two-minute report on a Security Council meeting that serves neatly to remind viewers of Nazarbayev's military leadership.

News then turns to Nazarbayev presenting new apartments to 400 people in the capital, Astana. The item shows busy construction sites, and an old war hero hailing Nazarbayev to the rapturous applause of a packed hall. Nazarbayev has claimed he is too busy with state business to campaign, but he somehow spared the time to attend this state-sponsored love-in.

It was surely no coincidence that this news item about housing, as EurasiaNet’s Joanna Lillis pointed out yesterday, coincided with protests outside about, well, housing. Just as the news was going to air, a group of homeowner activists had taken over the conference hall at the ruling party’s offices in Astana. Khabar, however, didn’t go anywhere near the topic.

But Khabar did take a short break from Nazarbayev to air a report about 128 new apartments being commissioned in Uralsk for young teachers and doctors. A wholesome family was rolled out to show their happiness at not being homeless.

And then it's back to a bit more Nazarbayev: This time a report on a meeting of the Kazakhstan-2020 coalition of democratic forces campaign for Nazarbayev. Yet more North Korean-style enthusiasts pour forth in adulation.

Thirteen minutes into a half-hour program, we finally get to a second nominee, the Communist People's Party candidate Zhambyl Akhmetbekov. His rambling excursion on utility prices is intercut with shots of bored journalists, one of which looks like he has fallen asleep. There are no vox pops with any of Akhmetbekov's adoring supporters, presumably since he has none?

Next, a brief piece on green candidate Mels Yeleusizov addressing university students and calling on them to plant trees. The audience looks bored, and it is safe to assume that they were. There is no footage of applause, and it is probably also safe to assume there wasn't much of that either.

Finally, an item on Party of Patriots leader Gani Kasymov looking like a Sicilian don laying some flowers at a war memorial in the rain. Just to undermine the solemnity of the moment, the editor couldn't resist including a shot of Kasymov clumsily knocking over the bouquet as he lays it down. 

If viewers hadn't nodded off by this point, they could have seen three more items on various preparations for the elections. One was about opposition Azat party member Petr Svoik having his bid to be appointed an adviser to the election commission turned down. Since most hardline opposition members have refused to have anything to do with the election process, Svoik's interest -- even though he was turned down -- helps lend the elections just a little more legitimacy. 

And that is a day in Kazakhstan's election campaign.