[20190613]IN11113_哈萨克斯坦临时总统选举遭遇抗议.pdf

CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress INSIGHTINSIGHTi i Kazakhstans Snap Presidential Election Met with Protests Maria A. Blackwood Analyst in Asian Policy Updated June 13, 2019 Overview Kazakhstan, an important U.S. partner in areas such as nuclear nonproliferation and counterterrorism, has embarked on an unprecedented process of political transition. On March 19, 2019, Nursultan Nazarbayev announced his resignation as president after almost 30 years in office. A former Soviet official, Nazarbayev became Kazakhstans first elected president in 1991. He was subsequently reelected four times, most recently in 2015, although none of these elections were deemed free and fair by international observers. His authoritarian government faced criticism for human rights violations and suppression of political dissent. Nazarbayev nevertheless enjoyed strong domestic popularity because of his largely successful efforts to promote stability and economic development. Nazarbayev is now moving to implement a tightly controlled succession process in which he maintains significant power, but his resignation and the announcement of a snap presidential election prompted protest an