Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Kazakhstan

Kazakh Leader's Daughter Backs Weaker Presidency

Darigha Nazarbaeva (file photo) (ITAR-TASS)

October 9, 2006 -- Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev's daughter -- an influential lawmaker -- today said she favors a greater balance between the executive and legislative branches of power.

TEXT SIZE - +

October 09, 2006

Darigha Nazarbaeva told reporters in the Kazakh capital, Astana, that she believes the president must remain the "supreme arbiter of power," but that some of his powers should be transferred to parliament.

Nazarbaeva is a member of the state commission in charge of drafting proposals to amend Kazakhstan's constitution.

(Kazakhstan Today, Ferghana.ru)

RFE/RL Central Asia Report

SUBSCRIBE For regular news and analysis on all five Central Asian countries by e-mail, subscribe to "RFE/RL Central Asia Report."

Production and distribution of rap music is not officially banned, but it

Yo! Turkmen Rappers Flip The Script On Repression

For a growing number of Turkmen youth, rap music has become a way to express their daily struggles and inspire political change in one of the world's most oppressive countries. More

A woman relaxes underneath a photo of President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov at the resort of Avaza.

Turkmenistan's Personality Cult 2.0

Turkmen Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov appears to be building a personality cult to match that of his eccentric predecessor. More

Myalikguly Berdymukhammedov, the father of Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, in a September 2009 television appearance

Keeping Up With The Berdymukhammedovs

Reports say a police unit in Turkmenistan this week was named after the father of President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov. State-run media reportedly describe it as a gesture to honor Myalikguly Berdymukhammedov's years of service to Turkmenistan's Interior Ministry and "his efforts in educating the younger generation." More