The problem with managed transition, is that they cannot be fully managed. Nazarbayev was popular because he brought perceived stability and economic growth (largely driven by oil prices). with growth stalled and a new generation of Kazakh's who are not craving stability like their parents who watched the Soviet Union collapse around them, a seat-warmer who promises more of the same doesn't have much of an appeal. That only makes the "managed" part of the managed transition seem all the more galling.
