How Far Will Kazakstan Take its OSCE Bid?

Kazakstan’s desire to chair the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, OSCE, might force it to agree to serious democratic reforms, NBCentralAsia analysts say.



Deputy Foreign Minister Rakhat Aliev, who is in charge of the securing the OSCE chairmanship for Kazakstan, announced earlier this week that the United States and Britain were insisting on a broad range of reforms, from the judiciary and the electoral system to media legislation and increasing the powers of parliament. These two countries have been the most outspoken in voicing scepticism that Kazakstan is ready to head the OSCE.



In mid-August, the government published a strategy called “Kazakstan-OSCE-2009”, which indicated that the country would have to ratify approximately 30 international documents which would impose numerous obligations on it. There is not as yet any guarantee that ratification will take place.



For this reason, experts agree that the Kazak government should take stock of its political capital and its readiness to carry out reforms that are more than just symbolic. It will need to demonstrate a commitment to certain standards of political development. If that does not happen, analysts predict an international furore which would do serious harm to the country’s image.



The US and British position runs counter to that of other European nations, which have expressed support for Kazakstan’s candidacy. These include Germany, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Latvia and the Vatican.



Germany, for instance, has released an official letter stating that denying Kazakstan the chairmanship on the grounds that it does not match up to democratic ideals could have serious political consequences, possibly alienating energy-rich nations of the former Soviet Union.



Nevertheless, it appears that the United States and Britain will play a key role in shaping a decision. The matter will be discussed when Kazak president Nursultan Nazarbaev pays an official visit to Washington later this month.



Analysts suggest that the majority of OSCE members will fall into line with the US and British position when the time comes to vote on the chairmanship.



(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)