Nursultan Nazarbayev’s daughter appointed as Kazakhstan’s parliament speaker
- There is speculation that she may succeed her father as president
- Speaker of upper chamber of parliament sworn in as interim leader
The eldest daughter of Kazakhstan’s outgoing long-time leader was appointed speaker of parliament on Wednesday, fuelling speculation that she may succeed her father as president after next year’s election.
Dariga Nazarbayeva’s appointment comes a day after her father, 78-year-old Nursultan Nazarbayev, surprised many by announcing he was resigning after nearly 30 years in office – or all of Kazakhstan’s time as an independent nation. He said it was time for a new generation to rule.
Though Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, speaker of the upper chamber of parliament, was officially sworn in as interim president on Wednesday, Nazarbayev is likely to continue to wield considerable influence in the oil-rich country as he remains chairman of the security council and leader of the ruling party. The question who will succeed him is, however, still open.
Tokayev’s suggestion at his swearing-in ceremony that the country’s capital Astana be renamed Nursultan to honour the country’s first and only president indicates that Nazarbayev will retain an unrivalled position as the national leader even after his resignation. The parliament promptly approved the name change.
That was further evidenced in the fact that the Kazakh Senate then voted to appoint Nazarbayeva, his eldest daughter, as the new speaker, making her the second most senior official in the country.
