Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan ( kk, Қазақстанның демократиялық таңдауы, Qazaqstannyñ demokratialyq tañdauy, QDT; russian: Демократический выбор Казахстана, DVK) is a political party in Kazakhstan.
It was founded by
Mukhtar Ablyazov
Mukhtar Qabyluly Ablyazov ( kk, Мұхтар Қабылұлы Әблязов, ''Muhtar Qabyluly Ábliazov''; born 16 May 1963) is a Kazakh businessman and political activist who served as chairman of Bank Turan Alem (BTA Bank), and is a co-fou ...
, a businessman and a former minister and
Galymzhan Zhakiyanov
Galymzhan Zhakiyanov ( kk, Ғалымжан Баділжанұлы Жақиянов, ''Ğalymjan Badıljanūly Jaqiianov''; born 8 May 1963) is a Kazakh businessman and politician. He owned several companies in Kazakhstan and has served as the a ...
, who was the
akim
An ''akim'' ( kk, әкім, әкімдер / ''äkimder''; ky, аким; russian: аким) is the head of a local government in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. ''Akim'', meaning "God will establish", is derived from the Arabic word '' hakim'', whi ...
of
Pavlodar Region
Pavlodar Region ( kk, Павлодар облысы, translit=Pavlodar oblysy; russian: Павлодарская область, translit=Pavlodarskaya oblast) is a region of Kazakhstan. The population of the region was and ; the latest official ...
. The QDT embraced a number of influential politicians and wealthy businessmen of the country who grew disillusioned with the inner circles of President
Nazarbayev. The movement adopted a strong anti-Nazarbayev stance and criticized the corruption and nepotism of the president and his clique. The party seeks to peacefully topple the current Kazakh regime and to transform Kazakhstan into a
parliamentary republic
A parliamentary republic is a republic that operates under a parliamentary system of government where the executive branch (the government) derives its legitimacy from and is accountable to the legislature (the parliament). There are a number ...
.
History
Origin (1998–2001)
From 1998 to 1999,
Mukhtar Ablyazov
Mukhtar Qabyluly Ablyazov ( kk, Мұхтар Қабылұлы Әблязов, ''Muhtar Qabyluly Ábliazov''; born 16 May 1963) is a Kazakh businessman and political activist who served as chairman of Bank Turan Alem (BTA Bank), and is a co-fou ...
served as Minister of Energy, Industry and Trade. Numerous reforms under him were proposed which was a program to diversify the country's economy, transferring part of the power to the regions, and introducing market principles for tariff formation. However, over time, President
Nazarbayev began to oppose Ablyazov's work. As a result, in 1999, Ablyazov resigned from his position claiming that the policies of the Nazarbayev's regime make the systemic reforms impossible.
In early 2000, Ablyazov and
Galymzhan Zhakiyanov
Galymzhan Zhakiyanov ( kk, Ғалымжан Баділжанұлы Жақиянов, ''Ğalymjan Badıljanūly Jaqiianov''; born 8 May 1963) is a Kazakh businessman and politician. He owned several companies in Kazakhstan and has served as the a ...
decided to create a movement that would advocate for reforms and seek to take power by democratic and legal methods. Originally, the movement had no plans in overthrowing the government.
Foundation (2001–2002)
The Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan was founded as a result of a split within the ruling elite that erupted into a full-scale crisis in November 2001. What the roots of the crisis were is not clear, yet it appears that conflicts of interest between a group of reformist bureaucrats, including the akim of the
Pavlodar
Pavlodar ( ; ) is a city in northeastern Kazakhstan and the capital of Pavlodar Region. It is located 450 km northeast of the national capital Astana and 405 km southeast of the Russian city of Omsk along the Irtysh River. , the cit ...
region, Zhakiyanov; the deputy premier,
Oraz Jandosov
Oraz Aliuly Jandosov (, ''Oraz Aliūly Jandosov''; born 26 October 1961) is a Kazakh politician and businessman. He was the chairman of the National Bank of Kazakhstan from 1996 to 1998, First Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan from February 1998 ...
; a fugitive banker, Ablyazov; and President Nazarbayev's son-in-law,
Rakhat Aliyev
Rakhat Mukhtaruly Aliyev ( kk, Рахат Мұхтарұлы Әлиев, ''Rahat Mūhtarūly Äliev''; 10 December 1962 – 24 February 2015) was a senior official of the government of Kazakhstan who died in an Austrian prison awaiting trial on c ...
, prompted Ablyazov to declare the establishment of a pro-business, pro-reform movement called Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan. Founders of the movement included deputy defense minister
Zhannat Yertlesova, deputy finance minister
Kairat Kelimbetov
Kairat Kelimbetov ( kk, Qaırat Nematuly Kelimbetov; born 28 January 1969) is a Kazakh politician who's currently the Governor of Astana International Financial Centre, a new initiative launched by Kazakhstan government to develop country's non-ban ...
, leading businessmen,
Nurzhan Subkhanberdin as head of the Kazkommertz bank, and
Bulat Abilov
Bulat Abilov ( kk, Болат Мұқышұлы Әбілов, ''Bolat Muqyshuly Ábilov'') was the Deputy Chairman of the Otan political party in Kazakhstan. He achieved this position following the death of Parliamentary Speaker and Deputy Chairm ...
.
Response by authorities
The prime minister of Kazakhstan,
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
Kassym-Jomart Kemeluly Tokayev ( kk, Қасым-Жомарт Кемелұлы Тоқаев, Qasym-Jomart Kemelūly Toqaev ; born 17 May 1953) is a Kazakh politician and diplomat who is currently serving as the President of Kazakhstan since 12 J ...
, harshly criticized the movement and asked the founders to resign from their government posts. The crisis was contained as a result of the intervention of
Nazarbayev. Tokayev was reassigned as the foreign minister, while
Rakhat Aliyev
Rakhat Mukhtaruly Aliyev ( kk, Рахат Мұхтарұлы Әлиев, ''Rahat Mūhtarūly Äliev''; 10 December 1962 – 24 February 2015) was a senior official of the government of Kazakhstan who died in an Austrian prison awaiting trial on c ...
was transferred to Vienna as ambassador. Zhakiyanov, Zhandosov, Ablyazov, and others were fired from their government positions.
On 4 January 2002, a criminal case was opened against Zhakiyanov on charges of authorial abuse. A criminal case on the charges of financial fraud and political abuse was held against Ablyazov where on 27 March 2002, he was arrested. International observers from Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the European Parliament and the US Department of State noted that the trial in the Ablyazov case took place with multiple procedural violations, insufficient evidence and inconsistent witness statements, which indicated the political nature of a criminal prosecution.
While serving in prison, Ablyazov was repeatedly beaten and subjected to psychological pressure. On 13 May 2003, President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed a decree to pardon Ablyazov and to release him from further serving his sentence in prison. The president's decision was facilitated by wide publicity that Ablyazov's case received among the international community and the resolution of the European Parliament in his support. Ablyazov, after his release, publicly stated that he ceased his cooperation with the movement and to be engaged in politics, but he secretly continued to support the movement.
Decline and disbandment (2002–2005)
QDT became split in the spring of 2002, as a group of moderate members, including
Oraz Zhandosov,
Bulat Abilov
Bulat Abilov ( kk, Болат Мұқышұлы Әбілов, ''Bolat Muqyshuly Ábilov'') was the Deputy Chairman of the Otan political party in Kazakhstan. He achieved this position following the death of Parliamentary Speaker and Deputy Chairm ...
, and
Alikhan Baimenov
Alikhan Muhamediauly Baimenov ( kk, Әлихан Мұхамедияұлы Бәйменов, ''Älihan Mūhamediiaūly Bäimenov''; born 25 March 1959) is a Kazakh politician who served as a member of the Mazhilis from October 2006 to June 2007, c ...
, established the center-right
Ak Zhol Party. Later, Ak Zhol also gave birth to another party,
Naghyz Ak Zhol, led by
Bulat Abilov
Bulat Abilov ( kk, Болат Мұқышұлы Әбілов, ''Bolat Muqyshuly Ábilov'') was the Deputy Chairman of the Otan political party in Kazakhstan. He achieved this position following the death of Parliamentary Speaker and Deputy Chairm ...
,
Altynbek Sarsenbaev, and
Oraz Zhandosov. QDT leaders have been trying to reregister the party with a new name:
Alga! Kazakhstan. Despite repeated attempts, authorities did not register QDT as a political movement. A party, Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan, was founded out of the movement and participated in the 2004 parliamentary elections in a bloc with
Serikbolsyn Abdildin
Serikbolsyn Abdildauly Abdildin ( kk, Серікболсын Әбділдаұлы Әбділдин, ''Serikbolsyn Ábdildauly Ábdildın''; 25 November 1937 – 31 December 2019) was a Kazakh economist, politician, First Secretary of the Communis ...
’s
Communist Party
A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of ''The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. A ...
. The bloc failed to win any seats in the parliament.
The QDT was disbanded in February 2005 before the presidential elections. But the party-led coalition of opposition forces,
For a Just Kazakhstan
For a Just Kazakhstan (also known as For a Fair Kazakhstan) (''Ädılettı Qazaqstan Üşin'') is a political bloc that was founded by the Communist Party of Kazakhstan, the Naghyz Ak Zhol and the Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan as an opposition ...
, nominated former deputy chair of the
Otan party,
Zharmakhan Tuyakbay
Zharmakhan Aitbaiuly Tuyakbay ( kk, Жармахан Айтбайұлы Тұяқбай, ''Jarmahan Aitbaiūly Tūiaqbai''; born 22 November 1947) is a retired Kazakh politician. He was the chairman of the Nationwide Social Democratic Party from ...
, as a presidential candidate in the elections held on 4 December 2005.
Tuyakbay received 6% of the votes.
Reestablishment (2017–present)
On 20 April 2017, Ablyazov announced the recreation of the QDT movement. The party claimed to have gained over 80,000 members from social media. It periodically holds protests throughout Kazakhstan to which the authorities had tried to repress. Some of the
2019 Kazakh protests are attributed to inspiration by QDT. During the
2019 Kazakh presidential election
Snap presidential elections were held in Kazakhstan on 9 June 2019 to elect the President of Kazakhstan following the resignation of long-term President Nursultan Nazarbayev in March 2019. , around 5,000 demonstrators, journalists and activists were detained by the police. The event was the first time that Kazakhstan faced protests during the elections. The movement also supports anti-China protests which had broken out in August 2019. On 5 January 2022, leader
Mukhtar Ablyazov
Mukhtar Qabyluly Ablyazov ( kk, Мұхтар Қабылұлы Әблязов, ''Muhtar Qabyluly Ábliazov''; born 16 May 1963) is a Kazakh businessman and political activist who served as chairman of Bank Turan Alem (BTA Bank), and is a co-fou ...
urged citizens to protest against the
Nazarbaev regime, resulting
mass protests across the country
References
External links
{{Kazakhstani political parties
Banned political parties in Kazakhstan
Political parties in Kazakhstan
Political parties established in 2017
Pro-European political parties