Nursultan Nazarbaev: Kazakhstan's Labor Hero

The Kazakh Senate has recommended that Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev be awarded the title "Kazakhstan's Labor Hero," an idea first suggested last week by Kazakhstan's education and science minister.

Almaty-based political analyst Aydos Sarym told RFE/RL's Kazakh Service that the recommendation is "ridiculous" and reminds him of the Soviet Union during the era of Leonid Brezhnev, when Communist leaders were awarded with the title of "Hero of Socialist Labor" at every occasion.

Dos Koshim, the leader of The Nation's Destiny (Ult Taghdyry) movement, told RFE/RL that such steps show how former communist leaders -- such as Nazarbaev -- were unable to change their mentality, adding that Nazarbaev is likely to have recommended the idea to have the title given to him. Probably.