3 yıl önce

Kazakh President Tokayev strips predecessor Nazarbayev of key powers

Tokayev passed an amendment to a law which removes the need to agree on domestic and foreign policy decisions with Nazarbayev, who was seen as the country’s top decision-maker prior to January violence.

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Tokayev (R) emerged from the crisis empowered, replacing Nazarbayev (L) in posts he held before the turn of the year.

Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has approved amendments to a law stripping his long-ruling predecessor of key policy-making privileges after last month's unrest exposed a power struggle.

The amendments signed into law by Tokayev on Monday removed the requirement of the government to agree domestic and foreign policy initiatives with Nursultan Nazarbayev, news agency Tengrinews reported.

State-funded media outlet Khabar said the amendments cancelled Nazarbayev's "lifelong" chairmanships of the powerful security council and a consultative assembly set up to promote inter-ethnic harmony.

The presidential office did not immediately publish the text of the amended law.

Tokayev emerged from the crisis empowered, replacing Nazarbayev in posts he held before the turn of the year that had been viewed as checks on Tokayev's authority.

Tokayev's mentor Nazarbayev, 81, was widely seen as Kazakhstan's top decision-maker prior to January violence that left more than 200 people dead after protests that began over a gas price hike spiralled out of control.

'Pensioner'

Monday's developments trimmed a law governing Nazarbayev's constitutional status as Kazakhstan's "Leader of the Nation".

Nazarbayev had last year agreed to hand over leadership of the People's Assembly of Kazakhstan to Tokayev.

However, the president's announcement last month that he had assumed the security council chairmanship came as a shock.

He made the announcement on January 5 as cities across the vast, oil-rich country of 19 million people were gripped by violence.

Nazarbayev, who was invisible during the clashes, reappeared nearly two weeks later to describe himself as a mere "pensioner" who had willingly ceded all his powers to Tokayev.

He denied being in conflict with his successor.

Tokayev has since pledged to avoid the kind of constitutional tinkering that allowed Nazarbayev to stay in office as long as he did but has credited Nazarbayev with helping Kazakhstan become "a strong state".

SOURCE: TRTWorld and agencies