Secretary of State’s visit is part of a diplomatic push to woe Central Asian dictatorships’ favor | Democracy, elections and voting at Democracy Chronicles

One has been accused of boiling prisoners alive. Another nurtures a bizarre, North Korean-style personality cult. A third clinched his fifth consecutive presidential term last spring with a totally inconspicuous 97.7 percent of the vote. Meet US Secretary of State John Kerry’s latest partners in diplomacy. Washington’s top diplomat made his rounds this week to Central…