The Kazakh authorities believe last year’s property legalization campaign was a success. However, to achieve it, the government had to rework drastically the initial conditions of it.
Marat Tazhin’s return to Nazarbayev Administration has attracted everyone’s attention in Kazakhstan and abroad. Moreover, one can even call it a sensation in no small part due to the sad fate of Tazhin’s predecessor. Baglan Maylybayev had lost not only his post but also his freedom on a charge so unexpected for such a high level official.
Nazarbaev’s third modernization’s latest priority has been labeled ‘institutional reforms, security and fight against corruption’. This part of elbasy’s message to the people of Kazakhstan consists mostly of requests to the government and institutions subordinate to the head of the state. Let’s see if they have a chance of being fulfilled.
This year in Kazakhstan has started with president’s statements about the start of the initiative of redistributing powers and the third modernization of the country. However, along with these seemingly progressive steps, a cleanup of the civili society is in full force, with Maks Bokaev and Talat Ayan receiving prison sentences and journalist Janbolat Mamay being arrested.
One of the major geopolitical factors affecting Central Asia has always been and still is its relation with USA. However, after the election of Donald Trump as president, the White House sharply changed its course. Since, it is still unknown what direction the new administration will chose in regards to the Central Asian region, we offer our take on future American policy towards Kazakhstan.
Nazarbayev’s comments on the social agenda was the weakest and most unconvincing part of his January address. On the surface, it seems like the president said the right thing when he proclaimed “increasing the quality of the human capital” as one of the third modernization priorities. It is obvious, however, that he is not aware of what is really going on in the country. Apart from that, he, once again, shows his lack of understanding of how the principles of market economy work.
