An unexpected scandal around the HOLA News online media-outlet related to its blocking, the leaving of two founders and the editor-in-chief and the delays in the wages payments has got us interested in what is being said behind the scenes about the Kazakh media-resources.
And we have made a “discovery” that may potentially turn into a scoop.
In summary, we are talking about the fact that Erlan Karin, currently the Aide to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan who has joined the Administration on the invitation of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev himself, is creating a private media-holding. Moreover, we have been told that several media-resources have already become a part of this structure. However, since this information is too sensitive and requires verification, we are not going to name these resources at this point.
Let us confess, at first, we did not believe what they told us. For Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is not simply the First President’s appointee but a statesman whose political ambitions (which are, in our opinion, quite considerable) and capabilities are severely limited (both formally and informally) by Nursultan Nazarbayev and his family clan. So much so that sometimes they call Tokayev the Elbasy’s “piece of furniture” behind his back.
For this reason, there is no point for Tokayev to create his own media-group. As the head of the state, he can always employ the governmental and the quasi-governmental media and Internet-resources and, as the Elbasy’s successor and appointee, he can rely on support of several big media-holdings controlled by the Elbasy’s relatives and allies.
If the information on Karin creating a media-holding is confirmed, this will mean quite a lot. For the Aide to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan cannot launch such a significant project on his own authority, in other words, without the approval of his boss. As for Tokayev, only most serious of reasons could force him to take such a step that requires, among other things, considerable financial investments.
What comes to mind first and foremost is that the acting head of the state is preparing for Nursultan Nazarbayev’s passing and allowing for the possibility that, when this happens, his personal political interests will begin to differentiate significantly from the interests of the Elbasy’s clan. Consequently, the latter may very well become his enemies or ill-wishers which means he will need such an important tool (weapon) as his own media-resource.
Apart from that, it is quite possible that Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is displeased with the pro-governmental propaganda machine that is not particularly flexible, vigorous and efficient when it comes to supporting his policies. So, he has decided to create a media-group that he will use as a “horsewhip” and a pointing device, first and foremost, when it comes to officials and governmental agencies that ignore or sabotage his orders.
We are not going to dwell on this subject since it is quite clear: if the media-group controlled and managed by Erlan Karin whose qualifications as a political strategist and a manager are quite high will in fact be launched and starts to actively operate in the country’s information space, it will mark a new turn in the Kazakh domestic policy.
On the other hand, if these are nothing but empty rumours, one may breath a sign of relief: the authoritarian political system and the “super-presidential” vertical will stay intact for some time to come.
