This Part I of the text for the Interactive…
OPENING INTERACTIVE PAGE
President Nursultan Nazarbayev
Factions:
· The Family
· Old Guard
· Regionalists
· Foreign Faction
POP-UP 1
Names & titles within the factions
POP-UP 2……text coming soon
Assets, strengths & weaknesses of named people
PRESIDENT NURSULTAN NAZARBAYEV
THE FAMILY – Uses connections and assets for political means
· Dariga Nazarbayeva, eldest daughter of President Nazarbayev
o Influence/Assets
§ Law enforcement structures (National Security Committee, Tax Police, Customs Committee)
§ Mass media (television channels Khabar, NTK and KTK; newspapers Caravan and Novoye Pokolenia)
o Weaknesses
§ Dariga’s ex-husband, Rikhat Aliyev, who reportedly attempted a powershift against Nazarbayev
· Timur Kulibayev, son-in-law of President Nazarbayev
o Influence/Assets
§ Energy firms (KazMunaiGaz, Kazenergy, KEGOK, Alautransgas)
§ Communications (Kazakhtelecom)
§ Finance (Shymkentnefteorgsintez, NSBK-Group, KazAgroFinance, Narodny Bank of Kazakhstan)
§ Media (KazTAG News Agency, 7 Channel, CentralAsia Monitor newspaper)
§ Closest strategic ally is Premier Karim Massimov
o Weaknesses
§ Kulibayev holds many enemies in the country, including most of the Old Guard, the Regional leaders, and even Dariga Nazarbayeva herself.
§ Poor ties within Kazakhstan’s ruling party, Nur Otan
· Karait Satybaldy, nephew and ward of President Nazarbayev
o Influence/Assets
§ Major-General rank on the National Security Committee
§ Secretary of Nur Otan Party
§ Coordinator of Nur Otan’s military and patriotic youth organization
§ Links into Astana Akin, Kazakhoil, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy Railways,
o Weaknesses
§ Despite experience in many industrial fields, Satybaldy has no or little knowledge or training in Kazakhstan’s industry
Instruments:
· Aliya Nazarbayeva, youngest daughter of President Nazarbayev
· Bolat Nazarbayev, brother of President Nazarbayev
· Grigory Marchenko, Chief of National Bank of Kazakhstan
· Karim Massimov, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan
OLD GUARD – Uses connections and assets for political means
· Bulat Utemuratov, businessman and former Presidential Affairs Chief
o Influence/Assets
§ Industrial (Kazzinc Metals, Kazphosphate Chemicals, Merkur Automotive, Vasilkovskoe Gold)
§ Media (Megapolice newspaper, Tan television, Icon internet, RBC Central Asia magazine)
§ Financial (Kassa Nova Bank, Metrocombank)
§ Telecommunications (Kar-Tel, Beeline-Kazakhstan)
§ Utemuratov is worth $1-2 billion
o Weaknesses
§ Though Utemuratov held many political offices and is close to the President, his support inside the political realm is limited, leaving him with little protection for his assets.
· Nurtai Abykayv, Chairman of National Security Committee
o Influence/Assets
§ Childhood friend of President Nazarbayev
§ Unofficially heads Presidential Administration staff
§ Close ties to the Kremlin
o Weaknesses
§ Caught in a series of scandals, including selling weapons to North Korea, and murdering opposition leader Altynbek Sarsenbayev
· Marat Tazhin, Secretary of Security Council
o Influence/Assets
§ Official advisor to President Nazarbayev
§ Organizes presidential strategy groups on political stability, national security, and foreign policy
§ Controls internal presidential group on distributing propaganda
o Weaknesses
§ An academic with no actual political power
· Southern Alliance, senior members of government from Kazakhstan’s southern regions
o Influence/Assets
§ Influence and control in the powerful southern Kazakh regions
§ Currently made up of
· Sarybai Kalmurzayev, Presidential Affairs Manager
· Umirzak Shukeyev, First Vice-Premier
· Sat Tokpakbayev, Deputy of Mazhilis
· Kairat Mami, General Prosecutor
· Kozykorpesh Karbuzov, Chairman of Cusoms Committee
o Weaknesses
§ Very few actual assets
§ Declared political rivals of Timur Kulibayev’s faction
· Kairat Kelimbetov, Chairman of Samruk-Kazyna National Welfare Fund
o Influence/Assets
§ One of the most respected and powerful loyalists in the country, making him one of the closest advisors to the President
§ Samruk-Kazyna National Welfare Fund influences and controls nearly 60 percent of Kazakhstan’s economy
§ Other power circles consider Kelimbetov a balancer in the country between competing forces
o Weaknesses
§ Direct rival to Timur Kulibayev’s group, especially in regards to its asset of Premier Massimov’s position in the government
Instruments:
· Nurlan Balgimbayev, ex-premier, head of energy circle “Oilmen”
REGIONALISTS – Uses connections for commercial gains
· Imangali Tasmagambetov, Akim of Astana
o Influence/Assets
§ Akim includes the capital of the country, which also control many central-western regions
§ Gained the position because is close to President Nazarbayev
§ Heavily tied into the UK government and royals, and European investment circles
o Weaknesses
§ Power among the regional elite is limited due to a strong unitary state under President Nazarbayev; every regional leader is therefore appointed and not elected by the population
§ Internal clans inside each region are not necessarily loyal to the Akim
§ Assets are also vertically under the President, so are a weak advantage if any
· Akhmetzhan Yessimov, Akim of Almaty
o Influence/Assets
§ Akim includes the most powerful city in Kazakhstan
o Weaknesses
§ Yessimov has never admitted actual loyalty to President Nazarbayev, leaving many to not trust him
§ Power among the regional elite is limited due to a strong unitary state under President Nazarbayev; every regional leader is therefore appointed and not elected by the population
§ Internal clans inside each region are not necessarily loyal to the Akim
§ Assets are also vertically under the President, so are a weak advantage if any
· Bergei Ryskaliyev, Akim of Atyrau
o Influence/Assets
§ Akim of one of the richer oil regions
§ Links into the Presidential Administration and the Old Guard
§ Reportedly connected into Kazakhstan’s main organized crime groups
o Weaknesses
§ Power among the regional elite is limited due to a strong unitary state under President Nazarbayev; every regional leader is therefore appointed and not elected by the population
§ Internal clans inside each region are not necessarily loyal to the Akim
§ Assets are also vertically under the President, so are a weak advantage if any
· Krymbek Kusherbayev, Akim of Mangystau
o Influence/Assets
§ Akim of one of the oil and resource rich regions, Mangystau, which is called the “treasure of Kazakhstan”
§ No ties into other major politicians outside of President Nazarbayev, making him relatively neutral
o Weaknesses
§ Power among the regional elite is limited due to a strong unitary state under President Nazarbayev; every regional leader is therefore appointed and not elected by the population
§ Internal clans inside each region are not necessarily loyal to the Akim
§ Assets are also vertically under the President, so are a weak advantage if any
Instruments:
· Nurzhan Subhanberdin, chief of Kazkommerts investment group
· Margulan Seisenbaev, former chief of Seimar Al’yans Financial Corp.
· Raimbek Batalov, founder of Forum of Kazakhstan’s Businessmen
· Bakhytbek Baiseitov, President of Banking Association of Kazakhstan
FOREIGN FACTION – Uses connections and assets for financial gains
· Korean Group, Korean Diaspora and influential foreign businessmen
o Influence/Assets
§ Main members:
· Vladimir Kim,
o Shareholder of Kazakhmys Copper
o Fortune of $4.7 billion
· Eduard Ogai, Chairman Kazakhmys Copper
· Yuri Tashai, President of Kazakhstan’s Korean Association
o Parliamentary senator
o Shareholder of JSC Caspy Bank
§ Tied into South Korea and its foreign investment circles
o Weaknesses
§ Being foreign diminishes any power push in Kazakhstan, as well as delegitimizes the group in the population’s eyes.
§ Presidential Administration has undercut corporations with Kazakh loyalists inside the company
§ Group’s previous leader, Vladimir Ni, who was close friends with President Nazarbayev died in 2010
· Eurasian Group, foreign oligarchs within the Eurasian industrial and energy complex
o Influence/Assets
§ Members:
· Alexander Mashkevich
· Patokh (Fatakh) Shodiyev
· Alidzhan Ibragimov
§ Oversees or influences
· Sokolovsko-Sarbaisky Mining, JSC Eurasia Energy Corporation, Aluminum of Kazakhstan, KazChrome, Shubarkol Komir Coal, Mugoteks Coal, Zhairemsky Mining
· Eurasia Bank, which umbrellas ten other banks in Kazakhstan
· Express K newspaper
o Weaknesses
§ Being foreign diminishes any power push in Kazakhstan, as well as delegitimizes the group in the population’s eyes.
§ Presence in the country is dependent on another power circle