# Kazakhstan: Father and Daughter face-off


![](http://odo.karaganda.kz:8001/picture/bars.gif)

The elections are over in
[Kazakhstan](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1298071.stm),
in fact they were about two weeks ago, but never too late to write a few
words. Politics in [Central
Asia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Asia) is, though usually very
interesting and sometimes quite incestous, rarely reported in big
headlines. The four countries that I’ve been to and know a bit about,
[Kazakhstan](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1298071.stm),
[Kyrgyzstan](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyrgyzstan),
[Uzbekistan](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uzbekistan) and
[Turkmenistan](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkmenistan) all gained
their independence from the [Soviet
Union](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Union) in 1991, and all of
them have the same heads of state as they did then.

So in the [current
elections](http://www.rferl.org/specials/kazakhelections/), the
incumbent
[Nazarbayev](http://www.president.kz/main/mainframe.asp?lng=en) ran
against [a
party](http://www.rferl.org/specials/kazakhelections/parties.asp#asar)
controlled by his daughter [Dariga
Nazarbayeva](http://forumkz.addr.com/2004en/en_forum_09_08_04.htm), who
is a graduate of a [Moscow university](http://www.msu.ru/english/), and
has worked in charity and media. Dariga’s party is newly formed from a
social movement, and says it includes mostly young people who would like
to work for liberal values and a more equitable distribution. However,
her father won (among [cries of
foul](http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2004/09/ee71d8c5-2db1-4ade-8e69-090bd943ccb5.html)
from the opposition). Mr Nazarbayev has his work cut out for him - he
has made a thirty year plan, and his vision is that by the year 2030,
Kazakhstan will become - not the tiger, but the [Snow
Leopard](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_leopard) of Central Asia. As
unlikely as that seems, Kazakhstan is a land to follow, because it has
[oil](http://www.indystar.com/articles/7/179973-9237-010.html). Add this
to all the other mineral resources, and according to [Asia
Times](http://www.atimes.com), [it is the richest country in the
world](http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/EK08Ag01.html). Doesn’t
seem so for the Kazakh farmers though.

Stian\
 PS: A good [overview on Kazakh
economy](http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/EK08Ag01.html) at
Asia Times.