Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev resigns after 30 years in power

Wednesday, 20/03/2019 16:14
Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev on March 19th announced his resignation in a surprise public address on national television after 30 years in power.

Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev (Source: Reuters)

“I have taken a decision, which was not easy for me, to resign as President,” Nazarbayev said, noting he was the “first President of independent Kazakhstan”.

He added: “It was an honour for me to serve the people… I have worked hard to fulfill the nation’s will.”

But he would remain the chairman of the country’s powerful security council, the leader of the Nur Otan Party, which dominates parliament, and the holder of the legal title “leader of the nation”, he said.

Kassym - Jomart Tokayev, the speaker of the upper house of parliament, will take over as the country’s acting President for the remainder of his term, in line with the constitution.

Born in 1940, Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev was named First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic in 1989, and was elected as the nation's first President following its independence from the Soviet Union. He holds the title "Leader of the Nation". In April 2015, Nazarbayev was re-elected with almost 98% of the vote./.

Compiled by BTA

RELATED NEWS

Comment
FullName
Email
Contents

/

Confirm