Doing Away With the Veneer

Most authoritarians these days know better than to go the Papa Doc Duvalier route and declare themselves president-for-life. The occasional sham election does wonders in terms of keeping off the international heat, especially if your country is an important source of gas or bauxite.

But Nursultan Nazarbayev seems to be seriously considering bucking the trend, despite the fact that he's already his nation's de facto ruler until he sheds his mortal coil—there is no limit on the number of times ...