Kazakhstan

Kazak president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. © Andrea Verdelli/Pool/Getty Images

Kazakstan’s Election: No Chance for Competition

Analysts see this is as opportunity for the president to assert himself outside the shadow of the country’s first leader.

8 Nov 22

Karlygash Muratova, 90, casts her ballot in Kazakhstan's eastern city of Karaganda. On June 5, Kazakhs overwhelmingly voted in favour of constitutional amendments that de-centralise the decision-making in the oil-and-gas rich Central Asian nation. © IWPR

Kazakstan’s Referendum Unlikely to Bring Change

Citizens said yes to the proposed constitutional amendments, but few believe the state’s hold on power will ease.

8 Jun 22

A woman holds a sign that reads, "Thanks feminism for my rights."

Kazakstan: Fighting to March

Attempts to hold an annual rally has become a highly symbolic tradition for the feminist movement.

8 Mar 22

Nursultan Nazarbayev ruled Kazakstan between 1991 and 2019. Over three decades the former president and his inner circle, accused of corruption and nepotism, have built a cult of personality around him. © elbasy.kz

Kazakstan: Nazarbayev’s Fading Personality Cult

Since 1991, the ex-leader has become identified with the state itself, but his status is now crumbling.

11 Feb 22

A view of central Kazakstan's capital Nur-Sultan, with the 105-metre tall Baiterek tower on the horizon. Previously known as Astana, meaning "capital city" in Kazakh, the city of 1 million was renamed on 20 March 2019 as a tribute to the long-ruling Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, shortly after his resignation. © Leon Neal - Pool/Getty Images

Kazakstan: Will Nur-Sultan City Be Renamed?

Calls for reinstatement of “Astana” as ex-leader continues to be blamed for legacy of corruption and inequality.

31 Jan 22

Rubbish pile up on the side of the village’s muddy, unpaved streets. Residents complain that when it is dry, the roads are dusty and when it rains, they are muddy. Taxi drivers are unwilling to take passengers here. © CABAR

Kazak Villages Struggle with Poverty

In Nur-Sultan, glitzy shopping malls and swanky hotels mirror Kazakstan's vast natural resources. In the outskirts, villages with no running water and basic services tell a different story of poverty and inequality.

26 Jan 22

The impoverished village of Prigorodny lies 10 kilometres from the shiny centre of Kazakstan's capital Nur-Sultan. The country's deep inequality has driven the most serious unrest the oil-rich Central Asian nation faced in decades. © CABAR

Kazakstan: Economically Successful, Socially Unequal

Vast natural resources have made a select few rich while millions of Kazaks struggle to make ends meet.

20 Jan 22

President Kasym-Zhomart Tokayev giving a speech in the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

What Next for Kazakstan?

Leadership promises economic reforms – but does not stint on criticism of elite.

14 Jan 22

Kazakstan: Tokayev’s Ascent to True Power

The career diplomat’s slow, hierarchical advancement has finally lead to real authority.

14 Jan 22

January 5, 2022 Kazak government declared a nationwide state of emergency after protests over a fuel price hike erupted into clashes and saw demonstrators storm government buildings. © ABDUAZIZ MADYAROV/AFP via Getty Images

Kazak Human Rights Activists Fear Crackdown

Experts predict further prosecutions and tightened censorship in the wake of unrest.

13 Jan 22

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