Independence Kazakhstan

Independence of Kazakhstan

About Kazakhstan's Independence. Chronicles of Independent Kazakhstan

25th October, 1990 is a special date for the citizens of Kazakhstan. It symbolizes the end of the old history and the beginning of a new one. 

President of the Republic of Kazakhstan 

On 25th October 1990, date of the independence of Kazakhstan became a turning point in Kazakhstan's development. the Declaration of Independence was the first fundamental legislation of the new country. It is a legal, political and ideological document expressing the very principles of the realities of human existence, mostly human rights and protection of freedom, ownership, political plurality and division of powers. these fundaments became the base of the Constitution. 

On 16th December, 1991 Kazakhstan adopted the Constitutional Law on the independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan. In 2001 Kazakhstan celebrated the 10th anniversary of its independence. 

Kazakhstan is a very young independent state. But during this short period, large-scale institutional changes have occurred in the country. The people of Kazakhstan voted for a presidential form of government. A two-chamber Parliament was established, a court system created, the new capital determined. Fundamental national legislation was passed on the economy, social security and security. More recently, executive powers such as the Armed Forces, the Republican Guard, the Frontier Troops and the Navy were created. 

The economy has been radically transformed to a market economy, able to be integrated into the world economy. Kazakhstan has become a leading attractor of foreign investments in the CIS and Eastern Europe. Reforms are being carried out in social services and pensions. 

There are 16 political parties and over 2,500 non-governmental organizations in the country, ensuring political plurality and social stability. 

Kazakhstan has voluntarily refused to host nuclear weapons on its territory and declared itself as a nuclear-free country. 

Kazakhstan's foreign policy has aimed to achieve international guarantees of Kazakhstan's sovereignty and independence. Much work has been done in establishing friendly relationships with foreign countries. Over 120 countries have officially recognized and have diplomatic relationships with Kazakhstan, which is a full and active member of the UN and is strengthening its cooperation with the most authoritative international organizations including the EU, the EBRD, the IMF, MAGATE, the Red Cross, UNICEF and UNESCO. Kazakhstan has joined over 40 multilateral and over 700 bilateral agreements and treaties. 

Today we can say with confidence that Kazakhstan has an internationally acknowledged government and occupies a worthy place amongst world economies. 

Selected landmarks of the creation of Kazakhstan: 

25th October 1990 - Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Kazakh SSR. 

21st November 1990 - Law to improve government institutions and the Constitution of the Kazakh SSR. 

12th August 1991 - the Ministry of Tourism is established. 

29th August 1991 - Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site is closed. 

11th September 1991 - Space Agency of Research and State Committee on Land and Land Use are established. 

5th October 1991 - People's Party Congress of Kazakhstan. 

16th October 1991 - Law on elections of President of Kazakh SSR. 

1st December 1991 - first general elections of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Nursultan Nazarbayev is elected. 

10th December 1991 - The Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic is renamed the Republic of Kazakhstan. 

10th December 1991 - Decree on Diamond Reserves is signed. 

16th December 1991 - Law on elections of the President of the Kazakh SSR. 

21st December 1991 - the heads of 11 former Soviet republics sign the declaration of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). 

2nd January 1992 - Kazakhstan becomes a member of the OSCE. 

27th January 1992 - first Kazakh gold bullion (10.5 kg) is smelted by Ust-Kamenogorsk Lead and Zinc Enterprise. 

3rd March 1992 - the Republic of Kazakhstan becomes a member of the UN. 

21st April 1992 - first letter of credence from a foreign diplomat - the Turkish Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador to Kazakhstan. 

25th May 1992 - Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance with the Russian Federation. 

4th June 1992 - Laws on the national flag, national emblem and national anthem. 

20th June 1992 - first international railway service is opened between Almaty and Urumchi (China). 

18th September 1992 - first national TV and radio broadcasting company is established. 

18th October 1992 - the first Spiritual World Congress in Almaty with representatives of world religions , famous spiritual leaders, and educational figures from the US, Great Britain, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, India and CIS countries. 

19th January 1993 - the Treaty of Basis of Relationship between Kazakhstan and Armenia is signed. 

22nd January 1993 - The Altynalmas company is created with the state's participation to coordinate the extraction of precious metals, stones and their by-products. 

26th January 1993 - the first Constitution of sovereign Kazakhstan is adopted. 

16th February 1993 - UN office opened in Almaty. 

10th March 1993 - the National Program of Privatization for 1993-1995 is published. 

18th April 1993 - World Economic Forum in Almaty gathering over 100 heads of major international and national companies, firms and banks from 30 countries. 

30th August 1993 - N. Nazarbayev asks the governments of nuclear powers to prolong the moratorium on testing nuclear, chemical, biological and other mass destruction weapons until 2005. 15th November 1993 - The national currency, Tenge (KZT) is introduced. 

28th March 1994 - 22 Kazakhstan-Russian documents signed on political, economic and military cooperation. 

29th March 1994 - in Moscow N. Nazarbayev offers to create a Eurasian Union of CIS countries. 

26th April 1994 - agreement between Kazakhstan and the Chinese People's Republic on the Kazakhstan-Chinese border. 

27th May 1994 - Kazakhstan becomes the 19th member of the NATO Partnership for Peace Program. 

20th January 1995 - a package of 17 bilateral agreements is signed between Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation incl. the Declaration on Extension of Kazakhstan-Russian Cooperation. 

1st March 1995 - the Assembly of the Peoples of Kazakhstan is established in order to strengthen social stability and interethnic accord. 

25th March 1995 - republican referendum to prolong the powers of the President until the 1st December 2000 in order to preserve social unity and avoid deep polarization of the political and social situation in the country. 

27th May 1995 - last nuclear weapon at the former Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site is eliminated. 

1st July 1995 - Democratic Party of Kazakhstan is established. 

30th August 1995 - a new Constitution is adopted by republican referendum. 

15th September 1995 - Akmola (Astana) becomes the new capital. 

December 1995 - the first two-chamber Parliament is elected. 

December 1995 - Kazakhstan becomes a member of the Islamic Cooperation Organization. 

31st January 1996 - speakers of the Senate and Majilis are elected on the first session of the new two-chamber Parliament. 

6th February 1996 - 15 countries take part in the Conference on Interaction and Trust Measures in Almaty. 

3rd April 1996 - Kazakh nationals can write their names and surnames in the traditional way. 

1st May 1996 - first Day of the Unity of the Peoples of Kazakhstan. 

17th September 1996 - 14 agreements signed on economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation between Kazakhstan and Georgia. 

30th September 1996 - Kazakhstan signs the Treaty on Universal Prohibition of Nuclear Tests. 

16th December 1996 - monument of Independence is opened in Almaty. 

30th December 1996 - 1997 is declared Year of Memory of the Victims of Political Repression. 

10th January 1997 - trilateral agreement on everlasting friendship between Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan is signed. 

24th January 1997 - Law on the languages of the Republic of Kazakhstan is adopted. 

13th February 1997 - 55 political parties, public associations, national and cultural centers of the republic sign an agreement on cooperating with the state in order to overcome social and economic problems. 

5th June 1997 - first international forum on Kazakhstan's investment in climate (over 60 foreign companies and international organizations participate). 

June 19, 1997 - Law on small business development adopted. 

10th October 1997 - the President's annual address about Kazakhstan - 2030. Prosperity, Security and Improvement of Welfare of All Kazakhstanis. 

10th December 1997 - 1998 is declared the Year of National History. 

10th December 1997 - National Fund to Support Disadvantaged People is created. 

15th January 1998 - Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation between Kazakhstan and the European Union is signed. 

20th January 1998 - official holidays and commemoration days approved: Day of the Defenders of the Country (7th May 7), Memorial Day of the Victims of Political Repression (31st May), Press Day (28th June), Sports Day (13th August), Day of Knowledge (1st September), Day of the Peoples of the Republic of Kazakhstan (22nd September), National Currency Day (15th November). 

27th February 1998 - State Program to revive historic centers of the Silk Road and preserve and develop the cultural heritage of Turkic states and create tourism infrastructure. 

27th April 1998 - the Agency Supporting Small Businesses is founded. 

4th June 1998 - 2nd Kazakhstan Investment Summit with 160 companies from 24 countries. 

10th June 1998 - international opening of the new capital Astana. 

26th June 1998 - Law on national security. 

30th June 1998 - Council of Foreign Investors is established. 2nd July 1998 - national financial institution NSBK Group is created to develop the financial system. 

6th July 1998 - Declaration between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation on everlasting friendship for XXI century is signed. 

9th July 1998 - Anti corruption Law is signed. 

17th July 1998 - Memorandum on border between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan is signed. 

21st July 1998 - Law on joint stocks is published. 

18th September 1998 - Civil Service Agency is established. 

30th September 1998 - the President offers to continue further democratization of society by simplifying elections, reducing membership fees, increasing the role of political parties which have over 10 seats in the Majilis (lower chamber) and increasing the role of NGOs. 

17th November 1998 - Civil Party of Kazakhstan is founded. 

9th December 1998 - Anti-corruption Government Program 1999-2000 is approved. 

17th December 1998 - Presidential Decree on the national commission for family and women is published. 

24th December 1998 - Law on Marriage and Family. 

1st January 1999 - declared the Year of Unity and Succession of Generations. 

10th January 1999 - N. Nazarbayev is re-elected President for seven years with 80% majority. 

1st March 1999 - Republican Party Otan is founded (it includes the democratic party "People's Unity of Kazakhstan", the Liberal Movement of Kazakhstan and the movement "For Kazakhstan 2030"). 

19th May 1999 - Kazakhstan's Tourist Union is founded. 

3rd June 1999 - 3rd international Almaty Investment Summit with over 160 companies from 22 countries. 

11th June 1999 - Law on Education. 

4th November 1999 - Treaty on long term cooperation between Kazakhstan and Byelorussia for 1999-2008 is signed. 

30th December 1999 - 2000 declared the Year of Culture Support. 

17th February 2000 - the anti-drug trafficking and anti-drug addiction agency is established. 

29thJuly 2000 - the last shaft for nuclear tests at the former Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site is eliminated. 

16th March 2001 - Security Council approved a new Foreign policy concept for Kazakhstan. 

20th March 2001 - State program of national information, infrastructure formation and development. 

27th March 2001 - the CTC pipeline begins to operate. 

29th April 2001 - Baikonur launches Soyuz -32 with the first space crew visiting the international space station. 

22nd September 2001 - state visit of pope John Paul II to Kazakhstan. 

16th November 2001 - Presidents of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan sign Kazakh-Uzbek border treaty. 

28th January 2002 - Summit on governmental cooperation in Central Asia and Summit of Heads of CIS countries. 

26th March 2002 - Washington declares Kazakhstan a market economy. 24th April 2002 - N. Nazarbayev and the President of Iran M. Hattami sign a Declaration on amicable relations between the two countries. 

Independence Kazakhstan 

25th April 2002 - first Eurasian media forum in Almaty. 

13th May 2002 - N. Nazarbayev and V. Putin sign a treaty on the northern boundaries of the Caspian sea. 

15th July 2002 - N. Nazarbayev signs the law on political parties. 

17th October 2002 - negotiations between N. Nazarbayev and Kofi Annann, UN General Secretary in Astana. 

23rd February 2003 - the presidents of Byelorussia, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine sign a statement to create a common economic zone. 

14th March 2003 - after a 12-year interruption Kazakhstan resumes exports of black caviar and sturgeons to Europe. 

25th April 2003 - law on compulsory social insurance. 

2nd July 2003 - N. Nazarbayev signs law to ratify a treaty between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan on the southern boundaries of the Caspian sea. 

23-24th September 2003 - Astana Congress on world, traditional and national religions. 

15th October 2003 - N. Nazarbayev attends the first NGO congress Civil forum. 
 

18th November 2003 - N. Nazarbayev ratifies:

agreement to establish special communication line between the Ministry of defense and the US nuclear danger reduction center,

agreement with Switzerland on international transportation of passengers and goods,

agreement with Greece on international transportation of passengers and goods,

agreement with Italy on international transportation of the passengers and goods by motor transport. 

17th December 2003 - Moratorium on capital punishment 

16-19th May 2004 - state visit to China, agreement on construction of Atasu-Alashankou pipe-line is signed. 

21st June 2004 - WHO anti-tobacco convention . 

10th November 2004 - Government program for electronic government in Kazakhstan for 2005-2007 

18th January 2005 - Kazakh-Russian treaty signed over 7,591 km border. 

18th February 2005 - Annual Address of the President Kazakhstan on the way to accelerated economic, social and political modernization 

2nd June 2005 - 50th anniversary of cosmodrome Baikonur. 

5th July 2005 - Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council meeting in Astana. Declaration of SCO member states. India, Pakistan and Iran declared SCO observers.

Kazakhstan 

Kazakhstan is a sovereign state. In December 1991 Kazakhstan declared its independence. Kazak government pursues the policy of friendship and national accord. Historically Kazakhstan has developed as a multinational state. According to the constitution adopted in 1995 every nationality can develop its culture in Kazakhstan. All people of Kazakhstan have equal rights and duties. Both industry and agriculture are developing here. Nowadays many private firms and joint ventures appear. Kazakhstan has established diplomatic relations with seventy countries of the world. President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev is highly respected not only in this country but abroad as well because he is an honest and intelligent statesman. 

The most important industrial centres are Karaganda, Pavlodar, Zhezkazgan, Taraz. Our country is rich in mineral resources and minerals. Copper, iron, zinc, lead, coal are mined in Kazakhstan. Now the aim of independent Kazakhstan is to become the country of high technology. 

Kazakhstan is good for a place of useful health resorts. People can improve their health at the resorts in Kostanay, Kokshetau, Almaty. They say that Kokshetau is "Kazak Switzerland" because its nature is beautiful and climate is mild. Kazak people are friendly and open-hearted. 

Almaty is the cultural, Scientific, economic and transport centre of Kazakhstan. This is one of the most beautiful cities of Asia. The city has a mild climate. Summer in Almaty lasts from May till September with the average temperature of 22 degrees in July. Winter is not very cold with the average temperature of 8 degrees below zero in January. 

The city was founded in 1854. Till 1921 it was named Verny. In 1929 Almaty became the capital of the Kazak Socialist Republic. Almaty was the capital of independent Kazakhstan till November 1997. Nowadays the city has seven theatres, many cinemas, hundreds of clubs, libraries and other cultural and educational centres. The most important theatres are the Kazak State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre named after Abai and the Kazak State Academic Drama Theatre named after M.Auesov. The city also has the Russian, Uigur, Korean theatres and many other troupes. 

Verny had only one gymnasium. Now in Almaty there are 185 schools of general education, a lot of technical secondary schools and Universities. Almaty is a University city. Young people from different places og Kazakhstan come to study here. 

Almaty is situated at the food of the Ala-Tau montains. The climate is very favourable for gardening. Everybody in kazakstan knows the world famous apples "aport". The citizens of Almaty are proud of the well known skating-rink "Medeo". It is equipped with all modern sport facilities. The most important competition are held there. 

Almaty is the city of kind and hospitable people. It is a great pleasure to visit it. 

Список литературы 

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Kazakhstan – 20 Years After Independence 

by michaelhancock on 9/25/2011 · 4 comments

Prologue 

Kazakhstan twenty years into its first independent statehood is a difficult animal to categorize, describe, analyze, etc. Why would we want to? My aim in this exercise is to find a general sense of how Kazakhstan has changed since the late 1980s and how it has stayed the same. I am treating the year of Independence (1991) more as a shift than a stopping or breaking point. For that reason, I’ll start this article a little behind independence, in the 1980s of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic. 

The Brezhnev era, lasting into the early 1980s, had seen Central Asia become even more semi-feudal than before, with leaders cemented at various levels by cronyism replacing any form of Leninist (Stalinist?) meritocracy that may have once existed (if ever). The massive, violent riots of December 1986 when a Russian was named First Party Secretary shocked the leadership and the populace – what is this thing called ethnicity in a Soviet, post-ethnic state? Some suggested that the riots, since named the Zheltoqsan Riots (December in Kazakh), were pushed at the time by ex-Secretary Kunaev, out of power after 27 years in the top position. Kunaev had gained massive authority and had come to symbolize for Moscow everything that was corrupt and broken about the Brezhnev era… but his replacement with a Russian who had never lived in Kazakhstan before was not regarded as a breath of fresh air but as a slap in the face. The Uzbek SSR had a similar personage – Sharof Rashidov – who did not long outlive the Brezhnev era. In 1990, Nazarbayev himself was implicated in criminal activities connected to the riots – though nothing came of the report. 

The riots, even if only a product of political maneuvering by elites, had very real and lasting political side-effects for those not in power. Olzhas Suleimenov, poet and activist, used the momentum of these protests to help create and drive the Nevada-Semipalatinsk anti-proliferation/testing treating. The native language movement grew in power and the Republic of Kazakhstan’s status as the only ‘minority’ ethnicity (ethnic Kazakhs were less than fifty percent of the population) became not only a fact of life but a situation to be confronted and reversed as soon as possible. This was remarkable, as the last Soviet census showed one of the successes of the Soviet nationality experiment (of creating Soviets instead of Russians, Kazakhs, etc.) – the Kazakhs had the largest population outside of the Central Asian Republics while still within the USSR (8% of all Kazakhs in the Soviet Union lived outside of Soviet Central Asia, while the other nationalities had between 1 and 2% outside the region). The willingness of Kazakhs to leave their “homeland” would later be condemned by nationalists, yet it speaks to the success of the Soviet Union in creating its own ‘national identity.’ 

In 1989, the Soviet Union was in the process of reinvention, restructuring, and rehabilitating itself. Nursultan Nazarbayev had just come to power to lead the Kazakhstan Soviet Socialist Republic. Since Independence, there has been a strong push in Western academia to understand “clan” and “clan politics.”  Some have sought to define Nazarbayev’s rise to power as the appropriation of clan linkages. However, this would seem to beg the question –  whether or not an independent Kazakhstan is a continuation of a Soviet (i.e. Russian/Communist created) state. Also, there is certainly room to argue that Nazarbayev’s rise was not related to the ill-defined mechanism of clan, but was rather the same kind of cronyism, nepotism, and corruption found in leadership throughout the Soviet Union, including those states without a history of nomadism and clan political structures. (This would be an excellent place to jump into the discussion of what we mean by clan in the first place and whether one can find a history of ‘clan’ politics in the Kazakh population prior to 1900) 

Similarly, much has been made of the dominance of descendants of the Middle Horde in Kazakhstan today. While much of this is a simple question of population, there is also the fact that many historical Kazakhs of the other two hordes fled the lands now encompassed by Kazakhstan for points north, east, and south. Similarly, the fact that the geographic region of the Middle Horde included the industrialized sections of Kazakhstan, it is rather difficult (chicken versus the egg) to prove that clan politics caused anything. Regarding Nazarbayev personally, he married a co-worker and married his daughters with legal regard for clan connections. Some point to the supposed noble lineage of Mrs. Nazarbayev, while others have explained how one must marry outside the clan in traditional Kazakh society. In short, I am following the conclusions of Jonathan Murphy who, after an in-depth study of modern Kazakhstan’s clan affiliations, came to understand that there was little that couldn’t be explained in simpler terms, those with which the student of Communist power is already familiar.

1991 – Independence. Independence! Independence? 

The coup of August was an unpleasant surprise to the leaders of the Republics, though at least the Kyrgyz Republic’s new ‘democratic’ leader looked on in favor. However, Moscow did not give up the ghost and the separate republics did not start on their respective “Independence Days” as newly minted countries fully in control of their trade, currencies, academies, police forces, etc. For example, throughout 1991 Nazarbayev spoke on many occasions in support of the changes needed in the Soviet Union along similar lines to the rhetoric of Gorbachev – market reforms and economic restructuring. Specifically important was the sovereignty of Kazakhstan with regard to its mineral rights, as Gorbachev had recently kept Kazakhstan in the dark during Moscow’s agreement with Chevron to develop the Tengiz oilfields. When Nazarbayev was popularly elected (albeit amongst the now-familiar cries of election malpractice) on December 1, 1991, it was not to an independent country. But a week later, the USSR was effectively annulled by the new CIS, which the Central Asian States requested to join as founding members. There has been some discussion over the racial slur implied by the Slavic definition of the initial CIS (the first meeting was held by leaders of Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine) which Nazarbayev has helped salve by announcing publicly that he was invited to the first meeting but refused, not having had time to read the necessary documents. 

The date of the foundation of the CIS, now a relatively weak and meaningless political union, is the true Independence Day of all of the resulting independent states of Central Asia. It was a shock and an unforeseen turn of events to which each country and its leaders reacted differently. It is not by accident that Kazakhstan declared independence on the fifth anniversary of the Zheltoqsan Riots. 

While it began its existence like the other Central Asian Republics with abandonment by the parent state that had created  and nourished its infrastructures, intelligentsia, histories, and political ideologies, Kazakhstan undoubtedly had the greatest economic potential, not only in mineral, but also agricultural wealth. However, Western analysts assumed that this would be difficult to capitalize and instead looked to Uzbekistan to lead the way, based on their own assumptions of the potential for ethnic unrest in the region. Kazakhstan was doomed to failure because of its tensions between the minority Kazakhs and the large population of Russians, Ukrainians, Germans, and Cossacks. This was not idle speculation, considering September of 1991 saw the four hundredth anniversary of Uralsk’s founding, celebrated by saber-rattling Cossack re-enactments.

The 1990s – the new Kazakhstan, the new Kazakhs 

The safety net, the welfare state, the infrastructure of state control – all gone or going. The 1990s proved to be a formative era in the creation of independent Kazakhstan, providing a time of troubles, a baptism-by-fire for its early economic heroes and anti-heroes. In those days, fortunes disappeared, securities and retirements became worthless promises, and simple day-to-day necessities disappeared, some yet to return, particularly outside of the urban centers of population. The corruption that had brought down the Soviet Union would help to create a new kind of state – one based on client-patron connections. Again, I would suggest it is problematic to claim that this is somehow unique or distinctive of Kazakhstan. While one can look to the film Racketeer as evidence of the ‘wild West’ of 1990s Kazakhstan, it itself is derivative of similar gangster films based on 1990s Russia. This dark past of the so-called New Kazakhs, again the analog to the New Russians, is integral to understanding their role in society and their perceptions among the less affluent (possibly less cut-throat?) majority percentage of the population. 

I would like to speak to the issue of Kazakhstan’s existence as a state, separate from the existence of the Kazakhs as a nation. Whatever we might all think about the ethnic/national identities in Central Asia, there is a political reality in the presence worthy of our attention. There are five states and over a hundred ethnic groups living within the confines of the former Soviet Middle Asia and Kazakhstan. This article is not going to go into history except to say that, like in all other areas of the world with which I am familiar, history has been the manipulative (and manipulated) tool of the political forces in power. In the case of the Soviet Union, there was a drive to show how the nomadic history of the Kazakhs must give way to the centralized power of a settled people. This is still true today, as many sources (Western and indigenous) have suggested that the ex-Soviet Turkic and Muslim populations of Central Asia are not ready for stable, democratic government. The Soviet era saw historians reaching back to feudal models and post-Mongol ages for the source of Kazakh identity, but with independence has come a strong push further into the fog of history for Kazakh-ness, looking to the Saka/Scythians and the riches of the Golden Man (or Golden Woman). 

In this way, Kazakhstan is easy to compare with the other modern Central Asian countries. They have all shared in the successful creation of new identities thanks to the Soviet Union and its focus on ‘scientific’ history, education, literacy and ethnography. This leads some citizens of Kazakhstan to speak of the past as being first and foremost connected to the present. As anachronistically as a modern American citizen might say, “We declared independence in 1776,” without defining the pronoun, so might a citizen of Kazakhstan say, “We used to have blonde hair and blue eyes and dress our leaders in gold.”

The 2000s and Beyond 

By the time I became intimately familiar with Kazakhstan in 2005, the country had completed much of its own construction of the political and bureaucratic infrastructure that exists today. Building off of the systems and agencies it inherited from the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan has emerged as a country deeply changed by independence in only a few aspects of life. Russia to the north and Uzbekistan to the south offer elements for comparison, yet it’s difficult to prove which differences are caused by environmental (non-human, non-artificial) concerns and which by differences in political ideology. Kazakhstan had much less of the “change and reform” rhetoric implemented by Karimov in the 1990s, yet in many ways has had a far more dynamic and successful transition from Soviet models than any of the other Central Asian republics. Again, though, I would hesitate to suggest this is not directly related to Kazakhstan’s own mineral and agricultural wealth in comparison with that of Uzbekistan or Tajikistan. The fact that the ethnic tensions of Kazakhstan never caused a deeper rift may be not unrelated to this topic of economic wealth – the most peaceful multi-ethnic states are also the most affluent. 

From my own experience in Uzbekistan in 2005, I can speak to personally hearing the city of Shymkent (or Chimkent, in Uzbek language) spoken of in lavish terms, being the city of market and commercial possibilities a short drive north of Uzbekistan’s much larger city and capital of Tashkent. Shymkent remains “wild”  for many of Kazakhstan’s citizens, yet its economic successes and rise in power are undeniable, even to those who find it unsavory. Taraz, Taldykorgan, Aktobe, Atyrau – to name but a few – have all grown enormously in wealth and development since the 1980s. At that time, one might have mistaken downtown Navoiy or Angren in the Uzbek SSR with Atyrau or Aktobe. That is to say, those cities created and settled largely during the Soviet regime. Other, older cities of Kazakhstan that survived with large indigenous populations have remained the least changed – Turkestan, the ‘old town’ inside Shymkent, and my own ‘second home’ of Sayram. These are the cities that also have shown the most difficult with regards to seamlessly merging them with the post-independence version of Kazakhstan’s history. 

This retrospective is united by a common thread – the power of Nursultan Nazarbayev. Has the President and Father of Kazakhstan created something sustainable? I have no idea, but many opinions. It seems likely that as long as Kazakhstan maintains its economic potential, it will retain its political and other advantages over its neighbors to the south. At the same, its northern and eastern neighbors of power are likely to grow their own investments and interests in the region. I will not be surprised if a future president of Kazakhstan is as fluent in Chinese as he is in Russian and Kazakh. I will be surprised if that person is not male and not Kazakh. 

Nazarbayev and Kazakhstan. 20 years later.

Friday, April 1, 2011 - 11:20 

After the collapse of the Soviet Union five independent states which embarked on democratization formed in Central Asia. Presidential republics, ruled by the permanent presidents (except Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan) were established there. Twenty years later we can speak about certain results of the development of these countries. So what was achieved by these young states? Kazakhstan is positioning itself as a leader in Central Asia, the president of the country repeatedly put forward the idea of creating "United Central Asia", which received no support. Today Kazakhstan is certainly ahead of the rest of the region by many indicators, some experts see the effect of energy potential of the country. When studying this topic, we face very conflicting opinions: a flurry of flattering articles in the Kazakh media, or publications that sling mud at the president and his family. Who is Nursultan Nazarbayev, and what is his role in the history of the Republic of Kazakhstan?

In Soviet times, the economy of the Kazakh SSR took the fifth place in the national economic ranking of Soviet republics. But in 2008, i.e. before the global financial crisis, gross domestic product (GDP) of the Republic of Kazakhstan in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP) amounted 167.6 billion U.S. dollars and allowed the country to become the 54th economy in the world. Kazakhstan's GDP per capita at PPP was 7,440 U.S. dollars and allowed it to take 79th place in the world ranking in terms of life, being ahead of many other former Soviet republics.

Many analysts noted the difficult situation that was faced by post-Soviet countries, where it was necessary to determine the fate of the latter-day nations. It was very important to have strong-willed leadership. So Nazarbayev instead of the vice-presidency or premiership of the Soviet Union remained the head of the state, where the basis of the economy is a resource sector with almost complete absence of enterprises with a full cycle of processing. In addition, most people did not consider Kazakhstan to be their home and had a migratory mood, so by the beginning of 1990s the Kazakhs were only 45% of the total population. Another factor is that in the domestic life remained a small-town and totally unprepared elite. Finally, there was uncontrolled nuclear weapon in the country.

Of course, after the collapse of Soviet Union the position of Kazakhstan and other former Soviet republics began to deteriorate in all spheres of life. This is explained by the fact that the USSR was a complex system of interconnected states that supplemented and supported each other. According to the predictions, Kazakhstan had to turn into a raw material appendage of Russia, or it would have had a long strip of instability and transformation into a source of ethnic and religious conflicts. Successes on the economic front, and they were obviously played a key role in enhancing the popularity of Nazarbayev. However, according to opponents, a jump in world prices for energy resources simply played into the hands of the president.

Another reason for critics of Nazarbayev was the fact that he attracted foreign investment and transferred the industry in the hands of foreigners. He was accused of excessive concentration of economic resources in the hands of one person.

But the concentration of economic management in the hands of state leaders in the early 1990s was the only possible method to fight the economic crisis. It is necessary to take into account the fact that Kazakhstan had industrial enterprises, but it did not have its own economy. The Kazakh state leadership, politicians and businessmen had to learn self-management and development.

What is the image of Nazarbayev as a political player? The former Soviet Union he is considered to be heavyweight, who has no match in political maneuvering. Back in the late 1990's - early 2000's, using noble slogans against corruption and incompetence, he beat the last competitors remaining on the domestic political scene, among which was the former Prime Minister Akezhan Kazhegeldin.

Eliminating political opponents, subjecting them to persecution, Nazarbayev has been ruling the country for twenty years. Today the Kazakh public is more and more worried about the future of the country; there is no mechanism for peaceful transfer of power. Several times there were constitutional amendments that limit the next president. Experts are wondering what caused such amendments, and foreshadow the departure of the President out of the Policy. But it is believed that this illustrative progress toward the democracy was taken in anticipation of Kazakhstan's chairmanship in the OSCE. Indeed, in the west the rule of Nazarbayev was considered dictatorial, though people noted his achievements.

The power is the thing that Nazarbayev always loved. Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, this working-metallurgist, born in 1940, showed an innate talent for the struggle for influence in the ranks of the Communist Party. He managed to rise to the post of first secretary of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan, and later to become the leader of the state formed in 1991.

The final result of his work is quite impressive: after almost a decade he strengthened the Kazakh language in the country during the Soviet period with most Russian-speaking people; he built a new capital Astana in the desert; he closed the nuclear testing ground in Semipalatinsk; he fired hundreds of thousands of civil servants; he attracted foreign investors and with their help he developed oil and gas mining and was not afraid to enrage international companies with the demands to pay more taxes.

Activities of Nazarbayev in the international arena in general deserve sincere admiration. In the present situation, when almost all other republics of the former Soviet Union managed to spoil their relations, Kazakhstan maintains the established contacts and finds new allies. According to the expert Temirgaliev, "Kazakhstan depends on U.S. policy and Russia less than all the rest. Nazarbayev didn’t let turn the country into an arena of open geopolitical confrontation of modern superpowers. And such picture we see now in Georgia and Ukraine."

In connection with the global crisis Kazakhstan had some economic problems that exacerbated the situation in the country. Despite the fact that consolidating authority had positive results at the initial stage, today it was developed into authoritarian rule with "sultanistic" bias, and the country suffers a lot from the domination of the family and the inner circle of the president. At the beginning of his reign, the clan structure of society didn’t not carry such a large number of problems due to the balancing of the president between the interests of juz’ and the establishment of the spheres of influence. But today there is no unity even within the family of the president, which is because of the prospect of a successor choosing.

There were a lot of scandals associated with Nazarbayev during the entire period of his reign. Population complains about the flowering corruption. Nazarbayev himself acknowledges that bribery became widespread. Meanwhile, in federal court of New York slowly continues the hearing of the case of “Kazakhgate” against a former adviser of Nazarbayev, the U.S. businessman James Giffen, who is accused of transferring millions of bribes to the accounts of Kazakh leaders of the highest rank.

A dark story about the deaths of two opposition leaders: Zamanbek Nurkadilov in 2005 and Altynbek Sarsenbayuly in 2006 negatively influenced the image of Nazarbayev. The official version of the causes of their deaths didn’t not convince people that the investigation really got to the truth.

One of the most serious scandals was associated with the former in-law of Kazakh president Rahat Aliyev, who was condemned at home in 2007. He began to reveal the secrets of the family and the presidency. According to Aliyev, Nazarbayev appropriated billions of dollars from state treasury and for a long time he charged a personal rent from the companies that do business in Kazakhstan. If to take into account that Aliyev was once a deputy head of the National Security Committee (KSC), his revelations should not be treated as a newspaper canard. According to Aliyev, the President of Kazakhstan doesn’t only receive a bribe from the largest Kazakh companies, but also he secretly owns shares in the copper, uranium, oil and gas industry, as well as a network of offshore bank accounts.

This year, the Parliament of Kazakhstan sent a proposal to the president to assign him the title "the leader of the nation." This bill provides immunity of the president and his family after the day when Nazarbayev leaves the office. According to the famous human rights activist Sergei Utkin, "all are equal before the law and the court – we can’t put a point on this. President is a citizen like all of us." But we talk about the complete exclusion of liability of the president and members of his family for any actions. As a lawyer I can say that in this case, no legal provisions for Mr. Nazarbayev and his relatives will be covered - neither the Constitution nor the laws. The irresponsibility is terrible. And even without this law the family of the President behaves as they want. And then it can be cancelled, so there is no expediency in this venture. "