Kazakhstan: Putting the spring back into the steppe

The global credit crunch and associated economic downturn hit Kazakhstan hard. But there is growing evidence that the country is back on the path to recovery. Guy Norton reports from Almaty.

IF ONLY EVERYTHING in life was as predictable as Kazakh politics. In April’s presidential elections the long-term incumbent, Nursultan Nazarbayev, won yet another term in office, with a dizzying 96% of the popular vote, ensuring that there is little prospect of a political upheaval in the foreseeable future. And while allegations of ballot box stuffing and biased media coverage have done little to boost Nazarbayev’s democratic credentials among western liberals, local bankers believe the result reflects the fact that he continues to enjoy the support of a sizeable part of the Kazakh population.

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