Kazakhstan 4 - PONARS Eurasia

President Nazarbayev’s Resignation | Commentary by Jones, Junisbai, McGlinchey, Roberts, and Schatz

Kazakhstan’s president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, made a brief statement on March 19 announcing his resignation. PONARS Eurasia members provide context and viewpoints. Pauline Jones (University of Michigan) Although the exact timing was…

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Laruelle: They have opened an era of uncertainty

(NYTimes) MOSCOW — The oldest daughter of Kazakhstan’s longstanding, autocratic president was elected Parliament speaker on Wednesday, fueling speculation that she would succeed her father as the country’s ruler after elections…

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Marat: The opposition has been weakened by Nazarbaev and no political debate has been allowed

(RFE/RL) Having ruled Kazakhstan with an authoritarian grip since the 1980s, President Nursultan Nazarbaev shocked many when he unexpectedly announced his resignation on March 19. “This year marks the 30th anniversary…

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Laruelle: Nazarbayev thought it would be good to be remembered as a president who stepped aside and did not die in power.

(NYTimes) MOSCOW — After 30 years in power, the aging president of Kazakhstan jolted the oil-rich former Soviet republic and the region at large on Tuesday with the surprise announcement that…

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Institutional Trust in Kazakhstan versus Kyrgyzstan: How Divergent Trajectories Matter

(PONARS Eurasia Policy Memo) For the new countries that emerged after the collapse of the USSR, few tasks have been more important, or challenging, than building institutions of government that…

Renewables in Kazakhstan and Russia: Promoting “Future Energy” or Entrenching Hydrocarbon Dependency?

(PONARS Policy Memo) Energy and natural resource use has always been a key issue of geopolitics, but as more countries adopt “post-oil” transition policies, environmental sustainability has itself become an important…

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Criminal Justice in Kazakhstan — Alexei Trochev

(CREECA Podcast) The criminal justice system in Kazakhstan is full of contradictions: Soviet-era accusatorial bias in pre-trial detention and sentencing goes hand in hand with the pro-defendant bias in closing…

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Kassenova: Astana has raised, very diplomatically, the issue of ethnic Kazakhs in Xinjiang re-education camps

(The Diplomat) In early 2017, reports began to emerge that Chinese authorities in Xinjiang were ratcheting up security, flying in troops, and parading police convoys through the region’s cities. Chen Quanguo, appointed…

How Russia’s Economic Recession Benefits Moscow Politically in its “Near Abroad”

(PONARS Policy Memo) Over the short run, Russia’s acrimonious relations with the West are serving the Kremlin’s broader effort of heightening its influence in its “near abroad.” In 2014, Russia was…

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Is Kazakhstan’s rising star fading?

(EUCAM) (Co-authored with Jos Boonstra) Kazakhstan’s economic prosperity and active foreign policy have given it increasing regional power status. Kazakhstan has stood out internationally as a mediator in conflicts, chair of international…

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Kazakhstan

President Nazarbayev’s Resignation | Commentary by Jones, Junisbai, McGlinchey, Roberts, and Schatz

Laruelle: They have opened an era of uncertainty

Marat: The opposition has been weakened by Nazarbaev and no political debate has been allowed

Laruelle: Nazarbayev thought it would be good to be remembered as a president who stepped aside and did not die in power.

Institutional Trust in Kazakhstan versus Kyrgyzstan: How Divergent Trajectories Matter

Renewables in Kazakhstan and Russia: Promoting “Future Energy” or Entrenching Hydrocarbon Dependency?

Criminal Justice in Kazakhstan — Alexei Trochev

Kassenova: Astana has raised, very diplomatically, the issue of ethnic Kazakhs in Xinjiang re-education camps

How Russia’s Economic Recession Benefits Moscow Politically in its “Near Abroad”

Is Kazakhstan’s rising star fading?