Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev most likely decided to hold snap presidential elections nearly two years before his term expires due to domestic political factors, as opposed to the continuing public unrest in the Middle East and North Africa.After Kazakhstan held the OSCE’s rotating chairmanship last year, the ruling elite probably decided that it is about time for the population to once again confirm the president’s legitimacy.
Nazabayev could have accomplished this feat in several ways, such as by holding a referendum to prolong his term for another ten years.
However, he publicly rejected this option and instead decided to hold snap presidential elections to renew his term and strengthen his power.
It’s worth noting that the Kazakh elite were already considering…