Pouvoir à deux têtes

The author analyzes Kazakh digital media discourse maintaining and strengthening the sacralization of the image of Kazakhstan’s first president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, in the public, media, and digital space and in the minds of Kazakhs. For over 30 years Kazakhstan has claimed to be a democracy and possesses all the elements of a democratic regime. The author goes on to examine the coherence as well as the contradictions inherent in having authoritarian and democratic processes sharing the same public and media space.