By Robert L. Barry (12/14/2005 issue of the CACI Analyst)

BACKGROUND: When this author served as head of the OSCE election observation mission during Kazakhstan’s parliamentary elections in 2004, the problem considered to be the most serious was the lack of transparency in the work of the Central Election Commission. This year, under new leadership, the Commission corrected this flaw. Moreover, the publication of election results broken down by polling station represented another major step forward towards transparency, since observers are now able to verify that the counts in polling station protocols were carried over into the vote totals reported by the CEC.

By Stephen Blank (11/30/2005 issue of the CACI Analyst)

BACKGROUND: In early 2002 Russian President Vladimir Putin called for a cartel of gas producers in the CIS. This clearly was a major initiative connected with the rejuvenation of Russian efforts to augment the value and the effective deployment of its economic instruments of power in Central Asia as a response to the American presence in Central Asia after September 11. While superficially it might appear that he was calling for a natural gas equivalent of OPEC, in fact the asymmetry of pipeline distribution and of power in the CIS would inevitably tilt such a cartel to Russian hegemony and dominance.

By Ustina Markus, Nigmet Ibadildin and Ryan Kennedy (11/30/2005 issue of the CACI Analyst)

BACKGROUND: In July, President Nazarbayev confirmed he would run for another term as president of Kazakhstan. The move was controversial, since under the constitution an individual may only hold office for two consecutive terms, but Nazarbayev argued that since the constitution was only passed after he was already in office, his first term didn’t count. Surprisingly, although the opposition is now voicing complaints about the move, there was barely a ripple during the summer when Nazarbayev made his announcement.