The capital was renamed Astana, and the president’s term was increased to seven years, non-renewable

The Kazakhstan He is slowly getting rid of the authoritarian legacy of his former boss Nursultan Nazarbayev. The capital, which became Nur-Sultan in March 2019 in honor of the former head of state upon his passing, will regain its name Astana. The Kazakh Presidency indicated on its website that Kasim-Jomart Tokayev signed this law Constitutional amendments Which also raised the tenure of the Kazakh head of state to seven non-renewable years, compared to five years renewable twice in a row previously.

The Parliament He agreed to these changes the day before. On Saturday, the Kazakh presidency also issued a decree stating that the capital will officially return to the name Astana when the decree is published. On September 1, President Tokayev announced his support for reducing the non-renewable term to seven years and also proposed organizing early presidential elections this fall. This last suggestion has not been officially confirmed.

Turning point with riots in January

Nursultan Nazarbayev, 82, who formally ruled this former Soviet republic from independence in 1991 to 2019, has established a cult of personality in Kazakhstan. The new president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, 69, came to power after the sudden resignation of his mentor, gradually. He distanced himself from the heritage Nursultan Nazarbayev, initiating reforms and expelling the influential clan of the former president.

This turning point is becoming more and more noticeable deadly riots that shook Kazakhstan in January and its causes are still a mystery. Nursultan Nazarbayev in particular saw the withdrawal of his title “Al-Basi” (“Head of the Nation”), a status that gave him great power. Several of his relatives were dismissed from positions of responsibility and one of his nephews was arrested for embezzlement.