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The Analysis of Women's Marital Rights in Kazakhstan
The Analysis of Women’s Marital Rights in Kazakhstan: Challenges of Gender Equality. Aizhan Kapysheva. Nazarbayev University. 2014. In spite of numerous legal agreements, women in Kazakhstan are faced with discrimination and inequality both at work and at home. The following research will focus particularly on the problems such as involuntary marriage of underage girls and denial of husbands of paying alimony when divorced. It can be suggested that women’s rights (the dependent variable) have a relationship with the level of country’s development, including urbanization, education, female unemployment and mortality rates. It is important to highlight the impact of culture and history of the nature of marriages in Kazakhstan. Negative relationship between the variables could further result in decreasing women’s participation in the political and social life of Kazakhstan. With this paper I would like to analyze the situation of women’s rights in the society in the Republic of Kazakhstan and, in particular, to highlight the problems that young women face. According to the experts from the United Nations, gender issues are the third most important global issue after threats to peace and the environment, and a large body of scholarship suggests that these other two issues are actually closely associated with gender as well. By improving the role of women in the society, it is possible to address the issues of equality, non-discrimination and tolerance, which may consequently lead to the development of the state. In spite of numerous agreements and ratification of internationally accepted frameworks, such as Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action of the World Conference on Human Rights (ratified on the 25th of June 1993), European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), women in Kazakhstan are often faced with discrimination and inequality both at work and at home. -
Mystery on Baker Street
MYSTERY ON BAKER STREET BRUTAL KAZAKH OFFICIAL LINKED TO £147M LONDON PROPERTY EMPIRE Big chunks of Baker Street are owned by a mysterious figure with close ties to a former Kazakh secret police chief accused of murder and money-laundering. JULY 2015 1 MYSTERY ON BAKER STREET Brutal Kazakh official linked to £147m London property empire EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The ability to hide and spend suspect cash overseas is a large part of what makes serious corruption and organised crime attractive. After all, it is difficult to stuff millions under a mattress. You need to be able to squirrel the money away in the international financial system, and then find somewhere nice to spend it. Increasingly, London’s high-end property market seems to be one of the go-to destinations to give questionable funds a veneer of respectability. It offers lawyers who sell secrecy for a living, banks who ask few questions, top private schools for your children and a glamorous lifestyle on your doorstep. Throw in easy access to anonymously-owned offshore companies to hide your identity and the source of your funds and it is easy to see why Rakhat Aliyev. (Credit: SHAMIL ZHUMATOV/X00499/Reuters/Corbis) London’s financial system is so attractive to those with something to hide. Global Witness’ investigations reveal numerous links This briefing uncovers a troubling example of how between Rakhat Aliyev, Nurali Aliyev, and high-end London can be used by anyone wanting to hide London property. The majority of this property their identity behind complex networks of companies surrounds one of the city’s most famous addresses, and properties. -
Parliamentary Elections, Government Reshuffles And
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS, GOVERNMENT RESHUFFLES AND PROTECTIONISM IN KAZAKHSTAN What foreign investors should expect from the new Government & how to adjust corporate GR engagement 26th January 2020 On 10 January 2021, Kazakhstan held elections to its lower house of parliament (Majilis) and regional parliaments (Maslikhats). The Majilis' party structure remained unchanged, with three parties making it into Parliament: incumbent ruling party Nur Otan (71.09%), the Democratic Party of Kazakhstan Ak Zhol (10.95%) and the People's Party of Kazakhstan (9.10%). The two other parties that ran in the elections failed to pass the 7% threshold, while the National Social Democratic Party (NSDP), considered to be the main opposition, boycotted1 the election completely. Both the EU and the OSCE expressed concern over the validity of the results – citing the lack of fair competition and restriction of media and other freedoms from opposition parties. Of the 98 seats in the Majilis, 76 went to Nur Otan, 12 to Ak Zhol and 10 to the People's Party of Kazakhstan. A further nine deputies to the Majilis were elected by the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan2, chaired for life by Nursultan Nazarbayev, the first President of the Republic (Elbasy). The Government formally resigned following the election, yet so far there has been no major Cabinet reshuffle; 20 of the 22 ministers have been reappointed to their previous roles. Importantly, both Askar Mamin and Nurlan Nigmatullin remain as Prime Minister and Lower House Speaker, respectively. THE ELECTIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF A POWER SHIFT The Majilis elections are part of an ongoing transition of power in Kazakhstan which was activated following the resignation of President Nursultan Nazarbayev in March 2019 (Nazarbayev turns 80 in 2021). -
Congress of Religious Leaders Discusses Role of Religion in Building Peace Youth Are Key to Enhancing National Competitiveness
+8° / -2°C WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018 No 20 (158) www.astanatimes.com Kazakh President urges dialogue at ASEM Kazakhstan retains Summit to resolve global conflicts position in WEF ranking the new methodology, the ranking By Saltanat Boteu was reviewed to 59th last year and remained the same this year,” said ASTANA – Kazakhstan ranked Khudaibergenov. 59th, maintaining last year’s po- The rating is composed of 98 indi- sition, on the recently-published cators. Kazakhstan improved in 50, World Economic Forum (WEF) weakened in 34 and remained the 2018 Global Competitiveness In- same in 14. The country’s advantag- dex (GCI). The Centre for Strate- es are the labour market (30th place) gic Initiatives (CSI) held a press and dynamic business (37th), while conference Oct. 17 to elabo- it is weaker in its financial system rate on the report, with director (100th), healthcare system (97th) Bakhytzhan Sarkeyev and senior and innovation potential (87th). partner Olzhas Khudaibergenov A significant improvement is answering questions. noted in institutions, which rose by Kazakhstan has participated in 12 positions to 61st place, and the the rating since 2006. From 2007- goods market, which rose by ten 2011, its rating remained between positions to 57th place. The largest 60-70 and improved to 42nd from decline is noted in education and 2012-2015. skills, falling five positions to 57th “Kazakhstan took 57nd place place, and the healthcare system, last year according to the former which fell three positions to 97th methodology. The ranking im- place. proved from 53rd to 57th place. By Continued on Page A4 Astana Hub seeks to become regional innovation centre One of the hub’s main achieve- By Aidana Yergaliyeva ments together with the state is the While in Brussels, President Nursultan Nazarbayev met with (clockwise from top left) King of the Belgians Philippe, President Emmanuel Macron of France, law on venture financing, which President Moon Jae-in of South Korea, and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, among other leaders. -
Managed Leadership Succession in Kazakhstan: a Model for Gradual
MARCH 2020 279 MANAGED LEADERSHIP SUCCESSION IN KAZAKHSTAN A MODEL FOR GRADUAL DEPARTURE? Kristiina Silvan MARCH 2020 279 MANAGED LEADERSHIP SUCCESSION IN KAZAKHSTAN A MODEL FOR GRADUAL DEPARTURE? • In March 2019, Kazakhstan’s authoritarian leader, Nursultan Nazarbayev, stepped down after three decades of rule and yielded power to his nominated successor, Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev. However, Nazarbayev has paradoxically remained the most powerful political actor in Kazakhstan. • Kazakhstan’s model of gradual leadership succession could serve as an example to authoritarian states around the world, but it is particularly significant in the post-Soviet context. • Institutional and constitutional changes that took place in the 1990s were aimed at concentrating power in the presidency. • Modifications initiated by Nazarbayev in the 2000s and 2010s sought to weaken the Kazakh presi- dency while strengthening power vested in himself personally, in order to ensure the continuation of a political status quo and his family’s well-being after the transfer of power. • Despite the careful preparation and Tokayev’s relatively smooth ascension to power, it is still too early to evaluate the success of the transfer due to the vast powers retained by Nazarbayev. The transition of power in Kazakhstan remains an ongoing process and, as such, unpredictable. KRISTIINA SILVAN Research Fellow EU's Eastern Neighbourhood and Russia research programme Finnish Institute of International Affairs ISBN 978-951-769-631-9 ISSN 1795-8059 Language editing: Lynn Nikkanen Cover photo: Wikimedia Commons/Ken and Nyett. CC BY 2.0. The Finnish Institute of International Affairs is an independent research institute that produces high-level research to support political decisionmaking and public debate both nationally and internationally. -
Parliamentary Elections in Kazakhstan
INSIGHTi Parliamentary Elections in Kazakhstan January 22, 2021 Kazakhstan, a U.S. partner in areas such as regional security, counterterrorism, and nuclear nonproliferation, held parliamentary elections on January 10, 2021. According to the official tally, the ruling Nur Otan party won 71% of the vote, followed by Ak Zhol (11%) and the People’s Party of Kazakhstan (9%), granting each party 76, 12, and 10 seats, respectively, in the lower house of parliament. Two other parties, Auyl (5%) and Adal (4%), did not meet the 7% threshold to secure parliamentary mandates. No opposition parties participated in the elections, and the results yield a seat distribution broadly similar to the previous convocation of parliament, which included the same three parties. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) concluded that the elections “lacked genuine competition,” noting that the electoral contest highlighted the necessity of the government’s promised reform program. Kazakhstan’s authoritarian government has touted recent legislative changes as furthering the democratization and modernization of the country’s political system. Critics argue, however, that these initiatives remain largely superficial. Kazakhstan is a presidential republic with power heavily concentrated in the executive. Although constitutional amendments passed in 2017 devolved some powers to the legislature, the dominant Nur Otan party is closely aligned with the executive branch. The bicameral parliament comprises a 49- member Senate, designed to be nonpartisan, in which 34 senators are indirectly elected and 15 are appointed by the president, and a 107-member lower chamber, the Majilis. Nine Majilis deputies are selected by the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan (APK), a constitutional body representing the interests of Kazakhstan’s various ethnic groups. -
Kazakh, Kyrgyz Presidents Discuss Bilateral Relations
+10°C / +5°C WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, 2014 No 7 (50) www.astanatimes.com Kazakh, Kyrgyz Presidents In Astana, Top U.S. Discuss Bilateral Relations Diplomat Reaffirms Importance of Strategic Partnership By Arsen Kulmanbetov oil and gas. More than 300 joint ventures in key economic sec- ASTANA – A top U.S. diplomat tors work in Kazakhstan. In 2013, began her three day tour of Ka- trade between Kazakhstan and the zakhstan and Kyrgyzstan on April United States totaled $2.75 billion, 1 with top-level meetings in the 9 percent more than in 2012. Kazakh capital and a lecture at a Biswal and Idrissov also ex- university bringing the overriding changed views on international message of a far away nation being and regional security, affairs in- committed to further strengthen- cluding the situation in and around ing bilateral ties and promoting re- Afghanistan and Ukraine. gional cooperation in Central Asia. While in Astana, Biswal also met Soon after her arrival in Astana, Prosecutor General Askhat Daul- Nisha Biswal, U.S. Assistant Sec- bayev to discuss cooperation in the retary of State for South and Cen- legal sphere. She also met other tral Asian Affairs, met with For- senior officials in the presidential office and in the government. eign Minister Erlan Idrissov and In her lecture to students of the discussed implementing the results Lev Gumilyov Eurasian National of talks between U.S. President University, the U.S. diplomat fo- Barack Obama and President Nur- cused on promoting security, pros- sultan Nazarbayev that took place perity and connectivity in the Cen- in The Hague on March 25. -
Parliamentary Elections 2021 Kazakhstan
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS 2021 KAZAKHSTAN Social media monitoring Final report (9 November 2020 - 9 January 2021) 8 February 2021 Bratislava Supported by INTRODUCTION Between 9 November 2020 and 9 January 2021, MEMO 98, a Slovak non-profit specialist media-monitoring organization, monitored social media in the run-up to the 10 January parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan. The monitoring included 48 different actors (political parties, politicians, media, and authorities) with accounts on Facebook and Instagram who produced a total of 29,342 posts on Facebook and 12,287 on Instagram. The posts generated as many 1,345,710 interactions on Facebook and 11,067,258 on Instagram. The main purpose of the monitoring was to determine the impact of social media on electoral integrity and the extent to which social media provide important information that voters need in their decision making.[1]While in general, for most people, television remains to be the primary source of information about politics, the growing relevance of social media inspired us to focus on Facebook and Instagram in our monitoring.[2]Such monitoring of social media was done for the first time in the context of the Kazakh elections. The monitoring also focused on how selected media report on candidates in their Facebook accounts and what topics and issues are discussed by political parties and selected media in the context of elections. As for the actual social media sample, we focused on official pages of political parties, individual politicians, media, and authorities on Facebook and Instagram. 1)2020 World Press Freedom Index from Reporters Without Borders ranks Kazakhstan as 157 (out of 180 countries), assessed as a country with ‘very serious situation’ (which is the worst category). -
Central Asia in January 2021
Month in Review: Central Asia in January 2021 The first month of 2021 in the countries of Central Asia began with parliamentary and presidential elections in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, the purchase of various vaccines for coronavirus, periodic protests, and an ambiguous epidemiological situation in different countries. The analytical platform CABAR.asia presents a brief overview of the major events in the region over the past month. Follow us on LinkedIn Kazakhstan General epidemiological situation In January, compared to December, there is an increase in the incidence of coronavirus by 10 percent in Kazakhstan, from 23.1 thousand to 25.6 thousand cases. The number of laboratory-confirmed cases of coronavirus infection in Kazakhstan, according to official data, amounted to 187 970. Where 2,556 people died (seven deaths were registered on January 31). Cancellation of strict quarantine in Almaty Almaty has moved from the “yellow” to the “green” zone in terms of the rate of detection of those infected with coronavirus. The city stayed in the “yellow” zone for one day – January 30. The severity of quarantine measures depends on which zone (“red”, “yellow” or “green”) the city or region is located in. Earlier, on January 28, Almaty was in the “red” zone, the sanitary inspector of the city Zhandarbek Bekshin decided to tighten quarantine measures from February 1. Among the measures taken were the mandatory hospitalization of patients with any form of coronavirus – mild or severe, a new schedule of catering from 9 am to 8 pm, a ban on work on the weekends. Bekshin also decided to suspend the work of cinemas and theaters, which had Month in Review: Central Asia in January 2021 begun work in October 2020. -
BTI 2014 | Kazakhstan Country Report
BTI 2014 | Kazakhstan Country Report Status Index 1-10 5.05 # 81 of 129 Political Transformation 1-10 3.85 # 102 of 129 Economic Transformation 1-10 6.25 # 47 of 129 Management Index 1-10 4.67 # 74 of 129 scale score rank trend This report is part of the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Transformation Index (BTI) 2014. It covers the period from 31 January 2011 to 31 January 2013. The BTI assesses the transformation toward democracy and a market economy as well as the quality of political management in 129 countries. More on the BTI at http://www.bti-project.org. Please cite as follows: Bertelsmann Stiftung, BTI 2014 — Kazakhstan Country Report. Gütersloh: Bertelsmann Stiftung, 2014. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. BTI 2014 | Kazakhstan 2 Key Indicators Population M 16.8 HDI 0.754 GDP p.c. $ 13916.6 Pop. growth1 % p.a. 1.4 HDI rank of 187 69 Gini Index 29.0 Life expectancy years 68.9 UN Education Index 0.839 Poverty3 % 1.1 Urban population % 53.5 Gender inequality2 0.312 Aid per capita $ 3.1 Sources: The World Bank, World Development Indicators 2013 | UNDP, Human Development Report 2013. Footnotes: (1) Average annual growth rate. (2) Gender Inequality Index (GII). (3) Percentage of population living on less than $2 a day. Executive Summary At the close of Kazakhstan’s chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), 2011 began on a note of optimism. However, by the end of the year, 2011 would be called “one of the hardest and most tragic” in the 20 years of Kazakhstani independence. -
Kazakhstan : Questions About Government, Justice & International Arbitrations
KAZAKHSTAN : QUESTIONS ABOUT GOVERNMENT, JUSTICE & INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATIONS Steven Kay QC & John Traversi 9 Bedford Row London March 2021 1 KAZAKHSTAN : QUESTIONS ABOUT GOVERNMENT, JUSTICE & INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATIONS PREFACE In November 2006, I visited Kazakhstan with John Traversi of 9 Bedford Row Chambers, London as part of an American Bar Association (ABA) Central Eastern European Law Initiative (CEELI) project to train Judges, Prosecutors and defence lawyers upon jury trials scheduled to become part of the national criminal justice system in January 2007.1 At that time it was recognised that Kazakhstan as a newly independent state was coming to terms with the concept of democracy and attempting to understand the true principles of the Rule of Law that require a justice system totally independent of the state. Our training focussed upon the need for independence of the jury as finders of fact, particularly their equality in that regard to the trial judge who was included amongst them, as well as the need of the jury to follow the judge’s directions upon the law. We recollect that there was a distinct note of cynicism amongst a significant number of the defence lawyers over the ability of the jury men and women to have the courage to give their views upon facts contrary to those of the judge. In fact, for one of the training events arranged for the judiciary in Astana, the judges failed to attend. However, all were optimistic that this was an important step towards strengthening the Rule of Law and protection of democratic freedoms. In 2020 we decided to review progress made by Kazakhstan in respecting the Rule of Law, particularly as its first President had recently finished a term of 30 years in office during which an international arbitration centre had opened for business, but aware that there were a number of high profile international legal disputes that seemed to indicate a disparity in standards and conduct. -
August 2019 • V
August 2019 • v. 59, n. 4 NewsNet News of the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies Kazakhstan after Nazarbayev: Changes for Researchers Sarah Cameron, University of Maryland, College Park Kazakhstan has often been seen as an island of who played a crucial role in the regime’s efforts to silence stability within the former Soviet space.1 It has been ruled opposition. After three decades in power, it appeared that by one man, Nursultan Nazarbayev, a former blast furnace one of the world’s longest-serving rulers was abruptly operator and Soviet holdover, since the Soviet collapse. gone from the scene. It soon became clear, however, that Under his rule, the country became a regional economic Nazarbayev had prepared carefully for his departure. powerhouse, a transformation fueled by rich deposits Though no longer president, he would continue to serve as of oil, gas and uranium. It gave up its nuclear weapons, head of Kazakhstan’s Security Council and chairman of its earning Nazarbayev praise on the international scene. It ruling Nur Otan party, exerting considerable influence on has pursued a “multi-vector” foreign policy, seeking good affairs from behind the scenes. The title of Elbasy (Leader relations with Russia, China and the United States. The of the Nation), conferred in 2010, gave him lifetime Soviet collapse left Kazakhstan with a multiethnic society immunity from prosecution. and significant Russian minority. But Nazarbayev has It is not clear why Nazarbayev chose to step down sought to portray his country as a model of interethnic from his post. But the case of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan’s cooperation, one where Kazakhs (68 percent), Russians rival for regional supremacy, provides an example that (19.3) and numerous other ethnicities coexist in supposed Nazarbayev is surely anxious to avoid.