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Kyrgyzstan & Kazakhstan

An authoritarian presidency

23/04/2006: Until 1991, Kazakhstan formed part of the Soviet Union. After the independence process, the country has struggled to get back on its feet.

Politically, Kazakhstan didn’t, as the neighbouring Kyrgyzstan, build their government on the principles of democracy. Instead, they chose to have an authoritarian presidency.

This gives president Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has been in power since 1991, the right to personally make many political and economic decisions.

At the presidential election on December 4th 2005, there were many reports of the press not being able to write freely about Nazarbayev and the other presidential candidates. Only articles favouring Nazarbayev were allowed. Such an election cannot be described as free and fair.

The opposition is being kept down

It is difficult for the opposition to the government to get a chance to speak out. Under the Nazarbayev government many breaches of human rights were reported during elections: arrests of people in the opposition took place and the freedom of assembly was curbed.