Kazakh opposition party nominates candidates for parliamentary elections
The Nationwide Social Democratic Party (OSDP) of Kazakhstan will meet today to put forward a new platform and slate of candidates for elections in January to the Majilis, Kazakhstan’s lower house of parliament. The party will likely emphasise the need for greater youth employment opportunities and for the removal of political barriers to operating small and medium enterprises.
The centre-left OSDP consistently positions itself in opposition to the political establishment, and struggles in national elections—OSDP members have yet to win a single seat in parliament. No recent election has been deemed entirely free or fair by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Dissidents increasingly regard the OSDP, one of six officially-registered parties, as a regime stooge, legitimating the Nur-Otan party’s continued dominance through perfunctory opposition.
Expect the OSDP’s electoral defeats to continue. Nur-Otan’s rising public support follows active fiscal interventions to stave off an economic downturn. Likewise, the OSDP’s own disorganisation seems likely to frustrate opposition success. Nonetheless, Nur-Otan has recently gestured towards some level of support for certain OSDP policies, including adoption of pro-business economic programs and reliance on a rhetoric of reform that could potentially improve its connections to prospective investors in the EU.
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