Kazakh president trims predecessor’s powers

By AFP
February 08, 2022

NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan: Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev approved on Monday amendments to a law stripping his long-ruling predecessor of key policy-making privileges, government media said, after last month’s bloody unrest exposed a power struggle.

Tokayev’s mentor Nursultan 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.