Information war is waged against Kazakhstan President: Adviser

Information-ideological war is waged against Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Interfax-Kazakhstan reports citing the President’s adviser Yermukhamet Yertysbayev. “I have been saying this for a long time that there is a real information-ideological war waged against the President and the country in general,” Yertysbayev told in the interview to Svoboda Slova magazine. The President’s adviser stressed that “Respublika portal and K+ channel are leading this war, as they have openly called for the ‘national revolt’ while covering Zhanaozen events”. Yertysbayev said that Zhanaozen events were covered “very lopsidedly” in some of the Russian media outlets. “There was a feeling that they decided to somehow neutralize the topic of Bolotnaya Square, replacing it with a hotter one, even though it happened in Kazakhstan,” Yertysbayev said. The President’s Adviser expressed his confidence that Zhanaozen events would not have a negative effect on Nur Otan Party's positions prior to the parliamentary elections. “What effect will Zhanaozen have on the elections of January 15? Zhanaozen events is a factor uniting Kazakhstan residents around the President and I have absolutely no doubts about that,” he said. Clashes in Zhanaozen started on December 16 during celebration of the Independence Day and claimed 16 lives. Over one hundred people were injured. Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed a decree on instating the state of emergency in Zhanaozen. It was prolonged to January 31. Early elections to Kazakhstan Majilis are appointed for January 15, 2012.