Daniyar Ashimbaev, a political scientist, criticized the widespread notion that power in Kazakhstan has historically been controlled by the Senior Zhuz and southern elites.
In his analysis, he points out that neither historical data nor statistical studies confirm the existence of a stable influence from southern groups, as reported by Exclusive.kz.
According to the expert, during the Kazakh Khanate, power was held by the Chinggisids and noble clans, during the imperial period key decisions were made by governors, and in the early Soviet period influence was distributed among the North, West, and South depending on the administrative situation.
“This thesis has no basis in historical facts and statistics,” asserts Ashimbaev.
He notes that even during the Soviet period, when the first southerner became the head of the republic, the overall balance remained diverse: northerners made up about half of the political elite, southerners only 15–20%, and western representatives about 25–30%.
Ashimbaev also examines the era of Dinmukhamed Kunayev and Nursultan Nazarbayev. He emphasizes that neither of these leaders were connected to the largest southern clans, which reduced the risks of accusations of tribalism, and the personnel policy was based on the principle of regional balance.
Regarding the current situation, the expert believes that there are no significant distortions.
“The regional distribution has hardly changed — the proportions are approximately 43/32/25,” adds Ashimbaev.
Thus, the political scientist believes that statements claiming that “power in the country belongs to the southerners” are more akin to a political myth than reality, and the governance system in Kazakhstan has historically been based on the distribution of influence among various regions.
The post Southerners in power in Kazakhstan? Expert debunks the main political stereotype was first published on the K-News website.
