After Kazakhstan's bloody riots - President disempowers his predecessor's cliques

Created: 01/17/2022, 12:07 p.m

Fragile hierarchy in Kazakhstan?

Former President Nazarbayev (above) with his successor Tokayev (archive photo).

© Pavel Aleksandrov/www.imago-images.de

The bloody riots in Kazakhstan are over.

But the power structures in the country remain in flux - President Tokayev is making changes.

Nur-Sultan - After the bloody riots in Kazakhstan, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is taking action against the power structures of his predecessor, Nursultan Nazarbayev.

On Tokayev's order, Nazarbayev's nephew Abish Samat Satybaldyuly has been dismissed as deputy chief of the secret service, the presidential office announced on Monday in the capital Nur-Sultan (formerly Astana).

Kazakhstan: Tokayev kicks out his predecessor's clique

Also on Monday, Timur Kulibayev resigned as chairman of the presidium of the influential business association.

The 55-year-old entrepreneur is the husband of one of the daughters of the ex-president, who ruled the former Soviet republic for almost 30 years.

He surprisingly resigned in 2019, but retained extensive powers in the oil and gas-rich country.

In the country on the border with China, which has been internationally praised for its stability for many years, there were protests at the beginning of the month against a doubling of the price of gas, which is used to fuel cars.

The demonstrations turned into brute force after a few days.

Head of state Tokayev spoke of an attack by "terrorist gangs".

According to official figures, 225 people were killed nationwide in the unrest.

Kazakhstan: Nazarbayev has been under pressure for days - intelligence chief arrested

In the course of the riots, Tokayev removed several of Nazarbayev's confidants from power and restructured the state leadership.

The 81-year-old ex-president himself was dismissed as head of the powerful Security Council.

In addition, the head of the secret service, Karim Massimov, was arrested.

It was only on Saturday that Dimash Dosanov resigned from the top post at the Kazakh oil transport company Kastransoil.

He is also married to a daughter of Nazarbayev.

Kairat Sharipbayev is also no longer head of the gas company QasaqGas.

He is reportedly unofficially married to eldest daughter Dariga Nazarbayeva - she was the most powerful woman in Kazakhstan.

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