ISSUE 3 [July 22, 2024]
You may have read about President Tokayev’s Zhana (New) Kazakhstan, a political modernization course prompted by the unprecedented Qandy Qantar (Bloody January) unrest. As part of this modernization, the public was promised a stronger parliament. Easier registration of political parties and lower thresholds for joining parliament were expected to enhance the executive branch’s political accountability and reduce the overconcentration of power in the hands of the president and the ruling party.
Yet, the parties that have gained some role in state politics are quite different from those that vocally criticize the government. Stronger parties that voice disruptive and inconvenient demands from below still cannot gain legal recognition. In this context, the authorities appear to be taking calculated risks, keeping reforms relatively selective.
Read on our website
You may have read about President Tokayev’s Zhana (New) Kazakhstan, a political modernization course prompted by the unprecedented Qandy Qantar (Bloody January) unrest. As part of this modernization, the public was promised a stronger parliament. Easier registration of political parties and lower thresholds for joining parliament were expected to enhance the executive branch’s political accountability and reduce the overconcentration of power in the hands of the president and the ruling party.
Yet, the parties that have gained some role in state politics are quite different from those that vocally criticize the government. Stronger parties that voice disruptive and inconvenient demands from below still cannot gain legal recognition. In this context, the authorities appear to be taking calculated risks, keeping reforms relatively selective.
Read on our website