Magazine Despite two era-defining moments occurring in the five years since Nazarbayev’s resignation, continuity is the main feature of governance in Kazakhstan. In this June 7, 2019, file photo, Kazakhstan’s acting President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, right, and former Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev shake hands in front of their supporters in Nur-Sultan, the capital city of Kazakhstan, … Read more
On November 5, Kazakhstan expanded its experiment with local elections to include three towns and 42 provincial districts. Residents of these districts and cities voted for akims, a position akin to a mayor, who until now have been indirectly elected by deputies of local councils. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a law changing the electoral procedure … Read more
Advertisement This week, a court in the Kazakh capital Astana decided to move the two trials of two different political figures, in two entirely separate cases, behind closed doors, citing concerns about the safety of witnesses. Given the political activities of both defendants – each the leader of an unregistered political party – the shifting … Read more
Advertisement When the trial of Zhanbolat Mamai, leader of the Democratic Party of Kazakhstan, an unregistered political party, concluded in April, he was given a suspended six-year sentence. In lieu of prison time, he was subject to a broad ban on social and political activity. This week, Mamai’s wife — activist and journalist Inga Imanbay … Read more