To date the younger Kulibayev hasn’t particularly shown much of an interest in direct involvement in public politics; quite the opposite of Aliyev.

Of course, that might be why he could be favored. As an heir apparent he’d be the least likely to want to succeed to the throne before it’s given to him.

It is a source of no end of amusement for me the degree to which the question of the succession in Kazakhstan parallels King Lear.

One might also draw parallels to Henry the second, but in this case I’d say that Richard would already have done away with Geoffrey and subsequently been exiled to Austria. I mean, France.