in power for decades
Nursultan Nazarbayev retires
01/18/2022, 7:24 p.m
For decades he was the strong man in Kazakhstan. Ex-President Nazarbayev is now leaving politics for good. “I’m enjoying my well-deserved retirement,” says the 81-year-old. At the same time, he responds to rumors that he has left the country.
Kazakhstan’s ex-president Nursultan Nazarbayev has spoken out personally for the first time in weeks – and after more than 30 years he has finally left politics. “I’m enjoying my well-deserved retirement,” said the 81-year-old in a video. A good three years ago, Nazarbayev surprisingly resigned as head of state of the authoritarian ex-Soviet republic in Central Asia and handed over the office to his confidante Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Despite this, he retained extensive powers in the oil and gas-rich country.
In the course of the bloody protests two weeks ago, Tokayev had dismissed his predecessor as head of the powerful Security Council and declared himself chairman. There was speculation that Nazarbayev had left the country. “I didn’t go anywhere,” he said now, sitting at a table with Kazakh state flags in the background. He is staying in Nur-Sultan (formerly Astana). The capital had been renamed after him.
Tokayev had recently dismissed several of Nazarbayev’s confidants and family members from important positions. There are no conflicts or confrontations within the elite, the ex-head of state claimed. “The rumors on this subject are unfounded.” President Tokayev has full power. He should now also head the governing party Nur Otan. At the same time, Nazarbayev campaigned for the reforms promised by his successor.
Dozens dead after protests
In the authoritarian republic on the border with China, there were protests at the beginning of the month against a doubling of the price of gas, which is used to fuel cars. The demonstrations turned into brute force after a few days. Head of state Tokayev spoke of an attack by “terrorist gangs”. There were more than 10,000 arrests in the ninth largest country in the world. More than 200 people lost their lives.
Nazarbayev became president on April 24, 1990, but had previously been in power as communist party leader. The man with a strong personality cult was repeatedly criticized for placing family members in influential positions. During the protests, people also settled accounts with his politics. Pictures from the city of Taldykorgan, for example, showed a Nazarbayev monument torn from its base.