US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's visit to Kazakstan this April, President Nursultan Nazarbaev, promised to finally sit down to talk to opposition parties. But so far, there have been no signs of any thawing of the regime's frosty attitude towards the opposition.
Dialogue is almost non-existent, and the regime takes little account of dissenting voices.
In fact, Nazarbaev is notoriously dismissive of opposition figures, and makes no attempt to include them in decision-making processes. He considers us to be his inferiors and regards us with utmost contempt - even though our leaders are highly educated people. Given the undemocratic tendencies of the regime so far, some analysts believe there is a real risk of civil unrest unless meaningful dialogue is initiated soon. As Kazhegeldin sees it, the dialogue would bring together representatives from the ruling party and the Forum for Democratic Forces, which represents a coalition of opposition parties and movements. The proposals were unsurprisingly supported by the Forum for Democratic Forces, who see the initiative as the only way to bring influence to bear on Nazarbaev's regime.