Way back in 2005, one of the “black PR” tricks that were launched on anti-Akaev groups such as Kel-Kel was having their websites cloned to discredit the organisations.

Seems like someone’s trying a similar trick on Edil Baisalov, as Mirsulzhan reports (RUS).  In addition to Edil’s real LiveJournal blog,  baisalov, there is now a very obvious fake LiveJournal online: edilbailsalov. Coming hot on the heels of the  scandal surrounding Edil over a photo of a ballot paper that he allegedly posted on his blog, it’s not difficult to think there might be a connection.

Given how eloquent Edil’s posts usually are, I don’t think anyone’s going to have any trouble distinguishing the real blog from the clone - especially because at the time of writing the clone only had a grand total of 6 posts, whilst Edil’s archive shows posts going back 2 years.

Mirsulzhan and fellow bloggers are urging LJ users to “flag” the clone and report it for offensive/hate content. Looking at the LJ policy on “conflicts with other users”, however, I suspect Edil will have to contact LJ to try and get the site taken down. Even so, flagging the site is a good first step, as is simply ensuring people know that this has happened.

Looks like Mars Saraiev may well be correct in thinking the incident at the printing press was staged [garbled English] (though his logic that the aim is reducing Ata-Meken support is more far-fetched I reckon). The fishy smell sourrounding the whole thing is made stronger by reports that almost 3 million ballot papers are to be destroyed and reprinted at the expense of the Social Democratic Party, of which Edil Baisalov was a candidate. Got to get rid of the opposition one way or another…