Nazarbayev is in “fierce negotiations” with Tokayev on assets – The Guardian

The first president of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarabayev remains in the capital Nur-Sultani and conducts “fierce negotiations” with the current president Kasim-Zhomart Tokayev on redistribution of assets, income and natural rent. This was reported by the British newspaper The Guardian citing sources. According to the newspaper, citing a former Western government official with ties to Kazakhstan, the struggle for power in the country continues, and “there is no guarantee that everything will end painlessly.” The newspaper writes that Tokayev used repressive measures to permanently deprive his predecessor and members of his family of power. Another newspaper spokesman said Nazarbayev was in China, but official Beijing denied the allegations. Former adviser to the first president Yermukhamet Yertysbayev also disagreed with this version. “Negotiations are ongoing, but it is clear that the Nazarbayev era is over,” he said, blaming the country’s violence during protests on “conservative forces from the Nazarbayev clan.”Another newspaper source in business circles said that many members of the elite managed to declare their loyalty to Tokayev, hoping that political purges would be limited to Nazarbayev’s family and his closest circle. It will be recalled that since the beginning of the protests in Kazakhstan, Nazarbayev has not appeared in public and has not made any statements. After resigning from the presidency in 2019, Nazarbayev retained the post of chairman of the Security Council, which gave him broad powers. However, on January 5, 2022, the incumbent President of Kazakhstan Kasim-Zhomart Tokayev announced that he had removed Nazarbayev from the post of Chairman of the Security Council. At the same time, there were rumors that the former president and his family members could leave the country . Nazarbayev’s spokesman said he had remained in Kazakhstan and had voluntarily resigned as chairman of the Security Council. Following the protests, members of Nazarbayev’s family lost their jobs in large Kazakh companies, government agencies and government-affiliated organizations. In particular, the eldest daughter of the first president of Kazakhstan – Dariga – by the end of January refused to attend the plenary session of the lower house of parliament, of which she is a member. Her spokesperson explained this by rehabilitation after coronavirus. According to ZAXID.NET, on January 2, residents of Mangistau region went to a rally because of the increase in the price of liquefied petroleum gas. On January 3, rallies began in several regions. Protest workers of oil companies joined the protests. On January 4, mass riots broke out in several cities of the country, pogroms began. The riots continued after Kazakh President Kasim-Jomart Tokayev dismissed the government as demanded by protesters. They were suppressed not only by local security forces, but also by the military from Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. All these countries, together with Kazakhstan, are members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). On January 10, the President of Kazakhstan announced that the protests had been suppressed and that the CSTO troops had begun to leave Kazakhstan. .