As reported on this site, one of the many casualties of August’s fraudulent Parliamentary election may have been Kazakhstan’s chances of chairing the OSCE in 2009.
Thus, the Kazakhstani Embassy’s latest press release is puzzling. Two articles topping the release are entitled “USA Optimistic about Kazakhstan’s OSCE Chairmanship Bid” and “Germany backs Kazakh OSCE, […]
On October 8th local authorities in Petropavlovsk, the administrative center of North Kazakhstan Oblast, announced that President Nazarbayev and his entourage would be flying in to on the following day to proclaim a new akim.
This followed another surprise announcement in NKO: namely, that a new akim was needed. Though observers had expected a change […]
While everyone who follows Kazakhstani politics expected Nur-Otan, the President’s uber-party, to win the election on August 18th, few thought that the results would be this obviously un-democratic. Frankly, many outside Kazakhstan (and inside as well) did not believe Nur-Otan and the President would have the gall to take every seat, thereby solidifying […]
So, it is still too early to post analysis of yesterday’s election; the picture should crystalize early this week. But just a few days ago, the New York Times had an excellent piece on the actions of the Kazakhstani intelligence services during the 2005 presidential elections, and the Nazarbayev regime’s approach to election […]
From a recent Kazakhstani Embassy press release concerning the Consitutional changes:
According to a unanimous decision of all the MPs, the first President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the all-nation leader N. Nazarbayev is given an exclusive right and an opportunity to run for president for the third time, in addition to the legislatively […]
I apologize for not posting on this topic sooner. The largest story of the last several weeks, indeed, perhaps the largest story of the year in terms of human interest in Kazakhstan, has been the trial related to the infection of some 118 children (and growing) with HIV.
Radio Free Europe/Radioliberty has an excellent […]
The Embassy of Kazakhstan to the United States and Canada is reporting that Ambassador Kanat Saudabayev will be leaving his post, which he has held for six-and-a-half years, to become Kazakhstan’s Secretary of State. Saudabeyev will be fourth in line to the Presidency, after the Prime Minister and the speakers of both houses […]
As Leila has written on the main page, Nazarbayev has again solidified and extended his powers through a Constitution Amendment. This “President for Life” clause– an exemption from term limits– is certainly interesting and problematic, but may be distracting from a bigger story. The truth is, there was never any question about […]
From the National Information Agency in Kazakhstan:
Almaty. On 5/10/2007 at 11.30 am, an armed robbery took place at the Headquarters of the national TV channel “КТК” located in Almaty, Republic Square 13. A Head of one of the channel’s departmental units was kidnapped.
The location and condition of the victim is unknown. The administration […]
For all the grumbling done on this and other sites regarding the government of Kazakhstan’s undemocratic tendencies, the truth, as anyone who has traveled to Central Asia knows, is that the nation is miles ahead of the other former-Soviet republics in the region in many other respects: trade, finance, infrastructure, women’s rights, etc.
Here is […]
