Constitutional development of independent Kazakhstan

Abstract

Nurumov and Vashchanka trace the transition from the one-party rule of the Communist Party to the one-man rule of Kazakhstan’s first and only president. From a brief period of political pluralism, the country has seen the gradual monopolization of power and elimination of political competition. Changes to the constitutional framework have mirrored the steady concentration of powers in the president’s hands. Dependence on natural resources underpins the current system of governance and the patronage networks on which it rests. Constitutional arrangements are designed to preserve the president’s privileges and reportedly considerable family assets, but, argue the authors, the issue of succession looms large.