Kazakhstan stifles critics ahead of OSCE move

* Kazakhstan, future OSCE chair, cracks down on dissent

* Western criticism muted

By Raushan Nurshayeva

ALMATY, Oct 30 (Reuters) - As Kazakhstan inches closer to chairing Europe's key security and human rights body next year, analysts and human rights groups say it is silencing critical voices at home instead of addressing issues of democracy.

The Central Asian state has claimed the rotating chairmanship of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) after promising to carry out political reforms which included liberalising laws on the elections and media.

But human rights groups say the government implemented only cosmetic changes and has instead cracked down on its critics.

Rights campaigners say Kazakhstan is not fit to run the OSCE as it does not stand for its principles. But the OSCE's procedures based on consensus mean that recalling a chairman is nearly impossible.

"Human rights developments in Kazakhstan overall since reforms in early 2009 have been disappointing and undermine the country's credibility as it prepares to serve as the chair of the OSCE in 2010," U.S.-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a statement this month.