ASTANA (Reuters) – Kazakhstani lawmakers on Wednesday proposed that the country adopt a law restricting “foreign agents”, an apparent move to emulate Russia in adopting a measure used to clamp down on government critics.
The People’s Party, a left-wing opposition party seen as ultimately loyal to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, proposed the legislation, with one of its parliamentary deputies saying that it would safeguard Kazakhstan’s sovereignty.
Neither the ruling Amanat party nor Kazakhstan’s government immediately commented on the proposal.
Details of the proposed law were not immediately available, but similar laws in other former Soviet states have required organisations or individuals receiving funding from abroad to declare themselves foreign agents, often submitting to onerous financial checks.
Russia first introduced its law on foreign agents in 2012, and has steadily widened its provisions to clamp down on criticism of Kremlin policy.
Georgia forced through a similar law last year, despite mass protests against it.
Oil and gas rich Kazakhstan has been governed in an authoritarian style since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, though Tokayev has loosened some controls since taking over from longtime predecessor Nursultan Nazarbayev in 2019.
(Reporting by Tamara Vaal; Writing by Felix Light; Editing by Peter Graff)
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