Kazakhstan strongman Nursultan Nazarbayev says he’s retired after deadly unrest
- The former president made his first appearance since violent riots earlier this month led to a purge of his allies
- Nazarbayev, 81, ruled Kazakhstan for three decades and retained substantial influence even after handing the reins to successor Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
Kazakhstan’s leader-for-life Nursultan Nazarbayev made his first public appearance since deadly protests in early January led to a purge of his allies as President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev sought to reassert control in the central Asian nation.
“There is no conflict or opposition within the elites,” Nazarbayev said in a recorded video statement posted Tuesday by his press office. “In 2019, I passed my presidential powers to Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and have retired since.”
Nazarbayev, 81, ruled Kazakhstan for 30 years until 2019, when he installed Tokayev as president while retaining substantial influence in the country’s repressive political system.
His lack of visibility since the clashes, combined with Tokayev’s moves to sideline many of his allies and family members, raised questions about a rift between the ruling elites.
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Order restored in Kazakhstan after week of unrest, Russian troops to stay for ‘limited time’
One of Tokayev’s first major moves when protests over surging fuel prices turned violent was to replace Nazarbayev as head of the Kazakh security council.
