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Ethnicity and Elections under Authoritarianism: The Case of Kazakhstan

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  • Oka, Natsuko

Abstract

Despite the ethnicisation of power since independence in 1991, Kazakhstan has managed tomaintain political stability without experiencing large-scale mobilisation to oppose Kazakhdomination. This paper examines government strategy to avoid ethnic voting in an attempt toexplain why ethnic divisions were rarely reflected in the struggle for power in the republic.While the arbitrary use of legal provisions considerably limited participation in elections byethnic leaders, powerful pro-president parties that exhibited a cross-ethnic character were createdto curtail ethnically based movements. The control strategy in elections aimed not simply atethnicising the parliament in favour of Kazakhs, but at having loyal Russians and otherminorities represented in the legislature through nomination by the president and catch-allpro-regime parties, or through the presidential consultative body—Assembly of the People ofKazakhstan. This well-controlled representation of minorities served not only to placatenon-Kazakhs but also to provide legitimacy for the Kazakh-dominated leadership by projectingthe image of cross-ethnic support for the president and some degree of power-sharing.

Suggested Citation

  • Oka, Natsuko, 2009. "Ethnicity and Elections under Authoritarianism: The Case of Kazakhstan," IDE Discussion Papers 194, Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO).
    • Handle: RePEc:jet:dpaper:dpaper194
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    Keywords

    Ethnic minority; Election; Kazakhstan; Minority Ethnic group; Politics;
    All these keywords.

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