Comments on: Nazarbaev Forever!

By: James

James — Wed, 23 May 2007 18:20:13 +0000

I doubt that these changes will have much effect on Kazakhstan’s OSCE bid, but they should.

Nathan, I agree 100%. Even if all the other institutional checks and balances go to the wayside, the possibility of peaceful regime change is still the most important. An elected dictatorship is a lot different from a true dictatorship. This is a big step backward for Kazakhstan. One point for Stephen Kotkin...

Among the “nations” of the former Soviet space, we have mostly one illiberal regime after another – neither democracies nor dictatorships, and in transition to nothing.

By: Nathan

Nathan — Sat, 19 May 2007 15:35:23 +0000

For what it's worth, I can't stand party list voting. But it can be an antidote to regionalism even in nondemocratic systems. In turn, that helps the state consolidate, and a functioning state is necessary for democracy.

One party essentially controlling the entire government until there is no distinction between the state and the Party? Does this sound familiar?

But not formally having an Article 6 makes a world of difference. David, the OSCE chairmanship still hasn't been decided. The members have put the decision on hold.

By: KZBlog

KZBlog — Sat, 19 May 2007 09:28:51 +0000

The biggest problem with party lists is that for the past year, Nurotan has been increasing its majority. Parliament is not full of pro-partIES, it’s full of The Party–which now can receive government money to carry out its activities, those activities already paralleling and substituting for government activities anyway. One party essentially controlling the entire government until there is no distinction between the state and the Party? Does this sound familiar?

By: DAvid

DAvid — Sat, 19 May 2007 02:25:03 +0000

Well, for party list voting to be effective, you really need to start with some kind of democratic elections. Turkmenistan already has party list voting. Everybody is in the same party. In vaguely open systems it has pluses and minuses. Kyrgyzstan’s shift to first-past-the-post did result in the election of large numbers of criminals, mass unrest and intensified regionalism, but on the other hand… well, I’m sure there was an upside there somewhere. Main problem is party list voting is boring – you just pay your money and get on the list, and nobody knows who you are, and the voters never meet you. By the way, is this OSCE Chairmanship still on? I thought it had died an unlamented death already?

By: Nathan

Nathan — Fri, 18 May 2007 20:42:48 +0000

I actually think the party list voting proposal is a very good one, and I wish it was in use everywhere in Central Asia. Though I don’t think that it necessarily improves the quality of government, it gives elites an incentive to organize themselves and compete for resources at the national level. Electoral districts reinforce regional divisions in politics. Regionalism’s not the problem it used to be in Kazakhstan, but I suspect that may not be the case were a weaker, less respected president running things.

By: Leila

Leila — Fri, 18 May 2007 20:22:21 +0000

Yeah, among the positive changes they cite the decrease of the presidential term from 7 years to 5, Mazhilis elections according to the party lists, part of the deputies proposed by the Assembly of the Peoples… Who are they trying to fool? The parliament is full of pro- parties, the Assembly is a joke with the president as a life-long head and the NGOs were financed by the state anyway. I am so disappointed, it’s not even fun anymore! Maybe the parliament (or himself) decided that it’s still safer with him than with mafia-like son-in-law fighting other clans.

By: Joshua Foust

Joshua Foust — Fri, 18 May 2007 17:09:55 +0000

Dammit, I thought I was being witty and clichéd!

By: Nick

Nick — Fri, 18 May 2007 15:31:28 +0000

Au contraire, ‘pardon my French’ is a reference to the WWI General, John French, who was renowned for his potty-mouth. Consequently, other members of the British High Command would say ‘pardon my French’ before mouthing expletives. This was picked up by the lower ranks and filtered into British society. Hence there is no need to substitute ‘freedom’ for ‘French’.

By: Joshua Foust

Joshua Foust — Fri, 18 May 2007 15:22:08 +0000

Nick: pardon your what? You were speaking “freedom,” not French.

By: Nick

Nick — Fri, 18 May 2007 11:48:55 +0000

Pah! Constitutional mandate – schmandate! still, someone’s onto a money-spinner – maybe Tony Blair should have tried some before deciding enough was enough – he was looking awfully tired …