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1 1 (June 21, 2019)

handle is hein.crs/govbada0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Cogesoa 1e1a h eric Updated June 21, 2019 Kazakhstan Overv ew Kazakhstan, a U.S. partner in areas such as counterterrorism, regional security, and nuclear nonproliferation, is a strategically situated country endowed with significant hydrocarbon and mineral resources. It shares long borders with Russia to the north and China to the east. Although sparsely populated, Kazakhstan is the world's ninth largest country by area. Previously a republic of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan became independent in 1991. Since then, the country's authoritarian government has introduced significant market reforms, developed the energy sector, and moved to diversify its economy. Kazakhstan pursues a multi-vector foreign policy, seeking to balance relations with major powers while actively participating in international organizations. Political Background Government. Since independence, Kazakhstan's political system has been dominated by Nursultan Nazarbayev, 78, a former high-level Soviet official who became the country's first elected president in 1991. He was subsequently reelected four times, most recently in 2015, although none of these elections were deemed free and fair by international observers. Nazarbayev resigned as president in March 2019, but he maintains significant powers as head of Kazakhstan's influential Security Council and chairman of the ruling Nur Otan (Radiant Fatherland) party. He was succeeded by a hand-picked successor, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. As First President and Elbasy (Leader of the Nation), Nazarbayev enjoys constitutionally protected status, including lifelong immunity from prosecution. His daughter, Senator Dariga Nazarbayeva, is now first in the presidential line of succession as Speaker of the Senate. Nazarbayev's family also dominates significant sectors of the economy. Newly-elected President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, 66, is a highly credentialed diplomat with significant international experience. Tokayev previously served as Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, and Speaker of the Senate, in addition to a stint as U.N. Deputy Secretary-General. He became acting president upon Nazarbayev's resignation and subsequently won a snap presidential election in June 2019 with 71% of the vote, although independent observers have questioned the integrity of this result. Tokayev is widely seen as a Nazarbayev loyalist and has emphasized continuity. Kazakhstan's bicameral parliament is dominated by Nazarbayev's Nur Otan party. In March 2017, a series of constitutional amendments devolved some powers from the executive to the legislature. Observers note, however, that the parliament does not function as an effective check on presidential power. According to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), elections in Kazakhstan consistently fail to meet international standards of impartiality, integrity, and transparency. Source: CRS Human Rights and Civil Society. Kazakhstan has a poor human rights record. The government justifies restrictions on civil liberties as necessary for preserving stability. According to the U.S. State Department, the government actively persecutes political opponents and stifles civil society groups and nongovernmental organizations. Kazakhstan's most significant human rights violations include the lack of free and fair elections; restrictions on freedoms of expression, religion, assembly, and association; and the absence of an independent judiciary and due process. Transparency International ranks Kazakhstan 124th out of 180 countries in its Corruption Perceptions Index. Economic inequality and a perceived lack of government accountability have fueled grassroots discontent in recent years. In 2011, protests by oil workers in the western town of Zhanaozen turned violent, leaving at least 15 demonstrators dead and dozens injured after police opened fire. In 2016, large-scale protests broke out against proposed changes to the country's land code, which critics feared would lead to a Chinese takeover of Kazakhstan's agricultural land. In 2018 and 2019, there were multiple demonstrations by women protesting a perceived lack of support from the state for single mothers and families with many children. Nazarbayev's resignation and the June 2019 snap presidential election catalyzed further protests and calls for transition to a parliamentary system. Kazakhstan at a Glance Land area: 2,699,700 sq. km.; 1.6 times the size of Alaska Population: 18.5 million (2019 est.) Ethnicities: 67'o Kazakh, 200. Russian, 3'o Uzbek, 1.6'o Ukrainian, 1.500 Uighur, 6.90. Other (2017) https://crsreports.cor

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