Kazakhstan's president accused Nazarbayev of political indelicacy and attempts to regain power

The head of state is a state manager hired for a certain period of time, not a "shadow of the Almighty". This was stated by Kazakhstani President Kasym Zhomart Tokayev in an interview with Ana Tili.
He criticised his predecessor Nursultan Nazarbayev and actually accused him of provoking mass riots in the country in January 2020.

Tokayev said the justice deficit in Kazakhstan had reached a "critical level" before the tragic events of January 2020.

"My course is for a fair distribution of national wealth, but this does not mean total expropriation, redistribution of property and assets. Such a thing will lead to degradation and chaos." It is about cancelling illegal benefits and returning illegally acquired assets to the state, he continued.

In the course of work to return illegally acquired financial and other assets to the state since 2022, more than $4.1 billion has been returned to the state, the president said.

Asked about Nazarbayev's role in Kazakhstan's history, he noted pros and cons

A stable statehood was established, institutions of power were formed, a new capital was built, the state border was legally fixed, useful co-operation with many countries was established, and foreign investments were attracted into the economy.

At the same time, Nursultan Nazarbayev's many years of presidential rule were marked by serious lapses.

After resigning as president and remaining head of the Security Council, Nazarbayev "was not characterised by political sensitivity".

"He regularly hosted meetings with the Prime Minister, the Chairman of the National Bank, ministers, akims. Even foreign leaders and diplomats looked at this with surprise, not to mention our public. There was even a joke: "Nazarbayev, after his resignation, was promoted to the President's office," Tokayev said.

This situation gave rise to rumours of dual power, with officials receiving orders from different offices. There were attempts to put the Security Council above the presidency.

"A 'real crisis of power' was caused by Nursultan Nazarbayev's statement at an Astana Club meeting in November 2021 about the possibility of returning to the presidential palace," Tokayev said.

He also criticised Nazarbayev's recent meeting with Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Nazarbayev's December meeting with Putin was the second in the past year. The first meeting in early autumn was not reported in the media. Such meetings are initiated by Nazarbayev, who is morally and politically closely linked to the Kremlin, Tokayev emphasised.