Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ASTANA2148
2008-10-30 11:12:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Astana
Cable title:  

KAZAKHSTAN: NUR OTAN DISCUSSES PARTY ACTIVITIES

Tags:  PGOV PHUM PINR EAID SOCI KDEM KZ 
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INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE 0747
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ASTANA 002148 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/30/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR EAID SOCI KDEM KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: NUR OTAN DISCUSSES PARTY ACTIVITIES
AND PLANS WITH THE AMBASSADOR

Classified By: Ambassador Richard Hoagland, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ASTANA 002148

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/30/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR EAID SOCI KDEM KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: NUR OTAN DISCUSSES PARTY ACTIVITIES
AND PLANS WITH THE AMBASSADOR

Classified By: Ambassador Richard Hoagland, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: During an October 29 meeting with the
Ambassador, Nur Otan party First Deputy Chairman Darkhan
Kaletayev explained that Nur Otan aims to become a party of
"real deeds." The party sees itself as a conduit between the
public and government, helping to solve socio-economic and
other problems. Fighting corruption is also a Nur Otan
focus. Kaletayev described the opposition parties as
patriotic rivals, not enemies. He said that Nur Otan
welcomes additional cooperation with USAID's political party
training problem, but would like concrete proposals from the
U.S. side. He assured the Ambassador that Kazakhstan would
implement its "principal" Madrid commitments. END SUMMARY.

"DOMINANT PARTY," WITH 850,000 MEMBERS


2. (SBU) During an October 29 meeting with the Ambassador,
Nur Otan party First Deputy Chairman Darkhan Kaletayev
described Nur Otan as the country's "dominant party," with an
"absolute majority" in parliament. (COMMENT: "Absolute
majority" is somewhat of an understatement, given that no
other party holds a single parliamentary seat. President
Narazbayev is the Chairman of Nur Otan, but Kaletayev
essentially runs the party's day-to-day operations. END
COMMENT.) Nur Otan has 800,000 members and 8,500 party cells
throughout the country. Kaletayev explained that Nur Otan's
aim is to become a party of "real deeds," not just words, and
named further democratization, ensuring the country's
prosperity, and overcoming the impact of the global financial
crisis as top Nur Otan priorities.

CONDUIT BETWEEN THE PUBLIC AND GOVERNMENT


3. (SBU) Kaletayev detailed Nur Otan's role as a conduit
between the public and government. The party has "public
reception" hours at its offices nationwide where citizens can
register complaints about socio-economic and other problems.
Nur Otan then presses the authorities to take action to
resolve them. Citizens come to the party for assistance

because often local bureaucrats are inaccessible. Most of
the complaints are about water, roads, health care,
education, housing, and telecommunications. Nur Otan
recently gathered detailed information about such problems in
every settlement, and intends to turn the information over to
the authorities at all levels of government. Some problems,
Kaletayev explained, cannot be solved at the local level, but
rather only by the national government. The party will set
deadlines for solving problems, and if they are not resolved,
will insist that explanations be given to the public. Nur
Otan will use "party control" mechanisms to force government
action.


4. (SBU) Kaletayev stressed the importance of Nur Otan's
efforts to fight corruption. The party is implementing a
program called "Ten Blows Against Corruption." On November
7, Nur Otan is hosting an anti-corruption forum at its
national headquarters which Nazarbayev will participate in.

CHANNEL FOR THE OPPOSTION?


5. (SBU) Kaletayev argued that Nur Otan can serve as a
channel between the opposition and government. He said he
views opposition parties as political rivals, not as enemies.
"There are a lot of smart people in the opposition -- half
of them came from the government originally -- and they are
patriots," he stressed. Nur Otan is willing to sit down with
the opposition and use its access as the ruling party to pass
the opposition's views to the government.


ASTANA 00002148 002 OF 003


PARLIAMENT OPEN TO OUTSIDE INPUT


6. (SBU) The Ambassador asked about Nur Otan's role in
drafting legislation. Kaletayev explained that Nur Otan
participates in legislative activities through its
parliamentary faction, which adheres to tight party
discipline. The party also has an institute of
parliamentarianism which has experts who analyze legislation.
Kaletayev described parliament as very open to input from
civil society and all parties, pointing to the Public Council
of the Majilis (the lower house of parliament) as a venue for
dialogue.

SEEKING CONCRETE PROPOSALS ON USAID COOPERATION


7. (SBU) The Ambassador noted that Nur Otan is participating
in USAID's political party training program, and asked
Kaletayev about his impressions of the training. He
responded that the United States has a long history of
political party building and thus important experience to
share with Kazakhstan. Nur Otan has good contacts with NDI
and received a briefing from IRI on the results of its poll
of political attitudes in Kazakhstan. Kaletayev said that
there are many avenues for further cooperation with USAID's
program -- including on local self-government and on
legislation dealing with political parties, the media, and
corruption -- but he would like concrete proposals from the
U.S. side.

MADRID COMMITMENTS WILL BE IMPLEMENTED


8. (SBU) The Ambassador stressed to Kaletayev the importance
of Kazakhstan's implementation of its Madrid commitments on
democratic reform. This is yet another opportunity for
Nazarbayev to demonstrate his leadership as an international
statesman, he explained. Kaletayev responded that the
government's "Road to Europe" program provides a blueprint
for implementation. Discussion is ongoing regarding the
details of the necessary legislation. Kazakhstan will not
meet international standards in all areas, but it will
implement its "principal" commitments from Madrid, Kaletayev
argued.

BIO NOTES


9. (U) Thirty-six year-old Darkhan Kaletayev was born in a
village in East Kazakhstan oblast. He is a graduate of East
Kazakhstan University and the National Higher School of
Government Administration. Kaletayev has served in
government positions for his entire professional career.
During 1997-2002, he occupied various positions in the
Ministry of Information. During 2002-08, he worked in senior
posts in the Presidential Administration, his last year as
Deputy Chief. He was appointed First Deputy Chairman of Nur
Otan on October 13.


9. (C) COMMENT: While neither western-educated nor, as far
as we could tell, English-speaking, Kaletayev (born 1972)
nevertheless represents generational change at Nur Otan. His
predecessor, Adlybek Dzhaksybekov (born 1953),did not seem
to have his heart in a position he ultimately held for less
than a year. In fact, Dzhaksybekov, a close Nazarbayev
associate, appeared less interested in party work than in his
outside pursuits, including producing a movie about the 2005
Kazakhstani presidential election campaign based on his
perspective as then Chief of the Presidential Administration.
In appointing Kaletayev, Nazarbayev presumedly believes he
has found someone who will take party-building more
seriously. Nur Otan, not surprisingly, continues to model
itself along the lines of the Soviet-era Communist Party,

ASTANA 00002148 003 OF 003


with the division between Nur Otan and the government a
tenuous one, made more so by the fact that opposition parties
are not represented in government at any level, save for
holding a handful of seats in local legislatures. Nur Otan's
youth wing, Zhas Otan, organized celebrations on October 30
to mark the 90th anniversary of the Komsomol, the youth wing
of the Soviet Communist Party. END COMMENT.
HOAGLAND