New President, Old Problems

The Challenges of Post-Nazarbayev State-Building in Kazakhstan

Bibliographic Data

ID19079808
AuthorsAram Terzyan (Center for South Asian Studies, corresponding author)
Year2020
Publication date2020-11-12
Open AccessNo
TypeREPORT
PublisherEurasia Institutes (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.47669/psprp-5-2020
OpenAlexW3112159363
LanguageEN
References cited7

This paper explores post-Nazarbayev state-building in Kazakhstan, focusing on domestic and foreign policy implications of the power transition. After thirty years of incumbency, President Nursultan Nazarbayev stepped down in 2019, smoothly transferring the power to his nominee, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and thus plunged the country into a sensitive phase of power transition. This study suggests that the power transition in Kazakhstan has not led to significant improvements in terms of human rights and political freedoms protection, leaving the state of the weak opposition and constrained civil society intact. Kazakhstan keeps maintaining the core features of oil-rich countries, with hydrocarbon-based economy and regime stability stemming from an “authoritarian bargain” between the state and society. Besides, there has been continuity in foreign policy, with Kazakhstan further pursuing a multi-vectoral foreign policy agenda

Authoritarianism · Civil society · Democracy · Development economics · Economic system · Economics · Foreign policy · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Global Energy Security and Policy · Law · Natural Resources and Economic Development · Russia and Soviet political economy

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