Although Nazarbayev is credited with maintaining domestic ethnic stability after the breakup of the Soviet Union, he has "allowed an inner circle of family members, friends, and business associates to exert formal and informal influence over vital economic resources and political positions," (Freedom House).
In the most recent presidential election in 2005, Nazarbayev obtained an unbelievable 90% of the vote. Presidential elections in Kazakhstan can generally be described as shams and have been criticized "by all major international organizations as falling short of international standards," (Freedom House). For example, in 1999 Nazarbaev barred his opponent from running based "on a technicality," (BBC). The current Kazak parliament does not include a single member from opposition parties (Freedom House). Currently, all parties represented in the Kazak parliament are supportive of Nazarbaev.
In response to accusations that he and his Otan party have been suppressing political dissent, Nazarbayev claims that he supports a slow transition to democracy because "stability could be at risk if change is too swift." The president went so far as to change the constitution of Kazakhstan so that "only he can initiate constitutional amendments, appoint and dismiss the government, dissolve Parliament, call referenda at his discretion, and appoint administrative heads of regions and cities," (CIA). Endowing his office with unchecked power, Nazarbaev has passed legislation that "grants him powers for life" even after he leaves office," (BBC). The CIA World Factbook describes the government of the Republic of Kazakhstan as possessing "authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch."
The promise of democracy in Kazakhstan will remain unfulfilled under these legislative conditions. The "growing consolidation of the authoritarian regime under Nazarbaev's patronage" has aroused international consternation and concern (Freedom House). Concurrent with Nazarbaev's corrupt regime, the Kazak head of state has suppressed press freedoms. Although the Kazak Constitution advocates freedom of the press, any published criticism of Nazarbaev is classified as a criminal offence (BBC). The Kazak government controls all major media in the nation. Deft control of the media disallows open political discourse.
Kazakhstan ranks low on worldwide scales that measure quality of life. For example, The Economist offers composite index including material...
On The Economist's 2005 scale, Kazakhstan ranks near the bottom at 96.
Quality of life within Kazakhstan varies but is bound to improve due to Kazakhstan's promising array of
energy resources. Large-scale energy projects and ore mining remain Kazak's
primary sources of
economic growth. However, economic growth of the nation as a whole depends on democratization and increased diversification. Many Kazaks are poor and unemployed, while the Nazarbaev elite relish the riches trickling in from direct foreign investments in Kazak
oil, energy, and mining reserves. Thanks to Borat, Kazakhstan might experience a boost in tourism. Increased
tourism would open more windows into the remarkable Kazak culture and potentially pave the way for a more open, free, and
democratic society.
References
Bashiri, Iraj. "Kazakhstan: An Overview." Retrieved Dec 10, 2006 at http://www.angelfire.com/rnb/bashiri/Kazakhstan/Kazakh.html
BBC News. "Country Profile: Kazakhstan." 10 Dec 2006. Retrieved Dec 10, 2006 at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1298071.stm#facts
CIA. "Kazakhstan." The World Factbook. 30 Nov 2006. Retrieved Dec 10, 2006 from https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/kz.html
The Economist Intelligence Unit's Quality of Life Index." The World in 2005. Retrieved Dec 10, 2006 at http://www.economist.com/media/pdf/QUALITY_OF_LIFE.pdf
Freedom House. "Country Report: Kazakhstan." 2005. Retrieved Dec 10, 2006 at http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=47&nit=372&year=2005
