ANOTHER TERM FOR PRESIDENT NAZARBAYEV OF KAZAKHSTAN

The December elections in Kazakhstan ushered in a final term for President Nursultan Nazarbayev, but also demonstrated the growing sophistication of Kazakhstan's electoral politics. Amid allegations of election irregularities, several important trends have emerged:

- Voters' preference for "stability" and economic improvement. The 91 percent vote for Nazarbayev reflects at least in part voters' preference for staying the course of relative political and economic stability that Kazakhstan has enjoyed under his leadership.
- Increasing discussion of political reform. Two signposts to watch will be the handling of the opposition's appeal to the courts and whether or not Nazarbayev begins to deliver on his promises of political reform.
- Increasing competition among the ruling elite. As President Nazarbayev serves out his final term, jockeying for influence will intensify among the political and economic elite in Kazakhstan. With no obvious successor currently in sight, the internecine struggle is already under way among potential presidential candidates for the next round.

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