Nursultan Nazarbayev

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Image:Victor Yushchenko and Nursultan Nazarbayev.jpg Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev (Kazakh: Нұрсұлтан Әбішұлы Назарбаев, Russian: Нурсултан Абишевич Назарбаев) (born July 6, 1940 in Chemolgan, Kazakhstan) is the current leader of Kazakhstan. He has been in office since 1990, and was the leader of the Kazakh SSR under Mikhail Gorbachev. He was originally elected to a term of service of only four years, but in 1998 wrote a decree to keep himself in power for at least 7 more years. His latest election has been condemned by the OSCE as falling short of international democratic standards.

His policies take a balanced route, being pro-West whilst trying to retain Russia's support. He has opened Kazakhstan's lucrative Tengiz and Kashagan oil fields to American oil firms. Domestically, he has adopted a policy similar to China's in that he is pursuing capitalist economic development without political liberalization, sometimes resulting in draconian policies and harsh clampdowns on dissent, including the disqualifications of electoral opponents and the muzzling of the press, which incidentally is controlled by his daughter, Dariga Nursultanovna Nazarbayeva. Nevertheless, he is respected by some in the West for his relatively even-handed development of the country and his maintaining stability and growth in a volatile, energy rich region.

His supporters credit him with improving the lot of the common Kazakhstani in the face of allegations that he stashed well over a billion US dollars in Swiss bank accounts and allegations of rampant corruption involving himself and many members of his government. He initiated the move of the administration from Almaty to Astana.

He is married to Sara Alpysovna Nazarbayeva, with whom he has had three daughters named Dariga, Dinara and Aliya.

On 4 December 2005, new Presidential elections were held, and President Nazarbayev won by an overwhelming majority of 91.15% (from a total of 6871571 eligible participating voters) as reported by the Central Electoral Commission of Kazakhstan. This outcome would be subject to criticism by the OSCE. Nazarbayev was sworn in for another seven-year term on 11 January 2006.

Nazarbayev has been largely criticised for his authoritative style of leadership. Beginning with the formation of the DCK (Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan) in November 2001 by Galymzhan Zhakiyanov, Muhtar Ablyazov, and Oraz Zhandosov, a split in the future of the political ideology in Kazakhstan materialized. Recent killings of two prominent opposition leaders, Zamanbek Nurkadylov in November 2005 and Altynbek Sarsenbayev in February 2006, have fueled the controversy.

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