Steve LeVine covers foreign affairs for BusinessWeek. He previously was correspondent for Central Asia and the Caucasus for The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times for 11 years. His first book, The Oil and the Glory, a history of the former Soviet Union through the lens of oil, was published in October 2007. Putin’s Labyrinth, his new book, profiles Russia through the lives and deaths of six Russians. It was released this week.
A Blog on Russia, Central Asia and
the Caucasus
Feud splits Kazakh ruling family
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has fired his son-in-law Rakhat Aliyev from the Foreign Service in what appears to be a growing power struggle.
Earlier, Mr Aliyev accused the leader of trying to silence him after he said he planned to run for the presidency.
What started as a family disagreement is now a major political scandal.
Earlier this week, President Nazarbayev ordered a criminal investigation into allegations his son-in-law was behind the kidnapping of two senior bankers.
More on BBC Asia-Pacific
Labels: Aliyev, Kazakhastan, Nazarbayev
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Kazakhs pave way for president for life
Nursultan Nazarbayev, who prides himself on leading the most advanced and democratic country in Central Asia, may have just become president for life.
The Kazakh parliament voted overwhelmingly to allow Mr Nazarbayev to run for office as many times as he likes.
"The government just spat into our faces," said Yevgeny Zhovtis, Kazakhstan-based analyst and human rights defender "It's sad, it's disappointing, and it shows that they are creating an increasingly authoritarian system."
By Natalia Antelava, BBC News, Almaty
Labels: Kazakhastan, Nazarbayev
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