In a bid to enforce new set of reforms, Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev dissolved the Central Asian state’s Parliament and announced new elections to the dismay of the opposition which calls it a deception to reign supreme in the country.
What upset the opposition more was that not only the new law would give additional powers to Parliament, but also allow Nazarbayev in power since 1989, to stay in office for life because of the elimination of term limits, making it harder for small parties to get into Parliament.
Kazakhstan, a close ally of the United States, is a fast developing economy with vast reserves of oil and natural gas, but has a poor record in promoting democracy. Nazarbayev has ruled for 17 years at a stretch. Though the U. S. has praised parliamentary and judicial reforms as positive but has not directly remarked on the clause that allows Nazarbayev a stay in office indefinitely.
Move towards conducting elections 2 years ahead of schedule is a prank by the President to show the West his commitment to democracy.
Ever since constitutional reforms were passed in the country, the President’s allies have been pushing for instant polls. August 18 of this year has been set as the date for early elections instead of in 2009.
Via: The New York Times
