Changes

In December 2005, President Nazarbayev won a new 7-year term in an election that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said fell short of international standards. Official results gave the president 91% of the vote, although independent exit polls found this figure to be somewhat inflated. Opposition candidates Zharmakhan Tuyakbay (For a Just Kazakhstan) and Alikhan Baymenov (Ak Zhol) were able to compete freely in this election.

In December 2005, President Nazarbayev won a new 7-year term in an election that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said fell short of international standards. Official results gave the president 91% of the vote, although independent exit polls found this figure to be somewhat inflated. Opposition candidates Zharmakhan Tuyakbay (For a Just Kazakhstan) and Alikhan Baymenov (Ak Zhol) were able to compete freely in this election.

In April 2017 Nazarbayev ordered the country to start switching to the Latin alphabet, to be finished by 2025.  Kazakhstan was forced by the Soviets to replace abandon the Arabic alphabet in favor of the latin alphabet in 1929, and was forced to switch (again), this time to Cyrillic in 1940.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/kazakh-president-orders-shift-from-cyrillic/28425590.html|title=Kazakh President Orders Shift Away From Cyrillic Alphabet|website=RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty|access-date=2017-07-12}}</ref>

In April 2017 Nazarbayev ordered the country to start switching to the Latin alphabet, to be finished by 2025.  Kazakhstan was forced by the Soviets to replace abandon the Arabic alphabet in favor of the Latin alphabet in 1929, and was forced to switch (again), this time to Cyrillic in 1940.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/kazakh-president-orders-shift-from-cyrillic/28425590.html|title=Kazakh President Orders Shift Away From Cyrillic Alphabet|website=RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty|access-date=2017-07-12}}</ref>

===Principal Government Officials===

===Principal Government Officials===