For 30 years, Nursultan Nazarbayev has been deemed the eternal leader of Kazakhstan. The first president, founder of the Kazakhstan sovereignty, yelbasy – this is not the full list of all his titles he has received for all the years. But just in a few weeks of January 2022, the significance of his personality faded much.
On March 19, 2019, Nursultan Nazarbayev announced that he resigned early and handed over his office to Kasym-Zhomart Tokayev. However, he kept some of his positions and remained in power unofficially.
However, January protests and further clashes in January 2022 have changed the situation and led to hundreds people dead and the introduction of foreign troops to the country. Nazarbayev lost his office of the head of the Security Council, which could be occupied by him for life. And long absence of the first president in public has caused a mass of rumours, including about disease, possible departure and conflict with the incumbent head of the state.
On January 18, key state television channels across the country broadcasted his video address, in which he said that in 2019 he devolved presidential power to Kasym-Zhomart Tokayev and since then he was retired and currently is taking a well-deserved rest in the capital of Kazakhstan.
“Therefore, there is no conflict or confrontation among the elites. The rumours about this topic are absolutely ungrounded,” he said.
After the January events, three sons-in-law and a nephew of Nazarbayev left their posts. On January 27, deputies of the upper chamber of Kazakhstan parliament approved legislative amendments cancelling the life chairmanship of Nursultan Nazarbayev in the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan and Security Council. According to these amendments to the constitutional law, ex-president will have the right to speak in the government and parliament, as well as to be a member of the Constitutional Council of the republic.
The attitude of the peoples, politicians and officials to Nursultan Nazarbayev has obviously changed sharply. For example, Azat Peruashev, deputy of mazhilis, chair of the “Ak Zhol” party, who could not hold back his tears when Nursultan Nazarbayev resigned, said in the interview to the YouTube channel “Qasqa Jol” that now all must work only with the president.
“When there were protests, we were waiting that Nursultan Nazarbayev would come to the people. But he didn’t do it. He delegated all his powers. He even handed over the chair in the Security Council to the president in office. Now he is most probably a common pensioner. He does not have any powers within the state,” he said.
Kazakhstan-based composer Shamil Abiltaev destroyed his piece of work, which he wrote in 2014 and dedicated to Nursultan Nazarbayev, after the speech of Kasym-Zhomart Tokayev on January 7 following the clashes.
“One day, Beethoven also dedicated his piece to Napoleon and they say he regretted it strongly afterwards. I have the same situation now. I burned down not only the musical score, but also effaced that kyui (traditional Kazakh play – editor’s note) from my mind. So, it’s gone now,” he said.
Instead, Tokayev’s speech has inspired the composer to compose a new kyui – “Kantar Kyrgyny” (from Kazakh – the January tragedy).
“Previously, Tokayev could not get beyond Nazarbayev’s control, but he could show himself and acted bravely. He is the descendant of Genghis Khan, almost a second Genghis Khan. And now he is the nation’s backbone. He is the purest human, I’m telling you,” Abiltaev said.
However, it’s not only Nursultan Nazarbayev who loses his influence. The members of his family and his inner circle also lose their posts – some resign voluntarily, others are removed.
“The Nazarbayevs were deprived of political assets. The “Nur Otan” party, which the family possessed for 23 years, was returned to the state. Many people say that Nazarbayev’s empire has ended at this point. Let it be so. The party should be rebranded and change its key staff. The most hurtful thing is that billions of money from out pocket have been infused into this party for years,” public person Dina Yelgezek said.
However, despite the public criticism of oligarchic circles, the country’s President Kasym-Zhomart Tokayev said that Nazarbayev has done much for Kazakhstan.
“I know that the country is full of various negative rumours. Therefore, I want to emphasise as the head of the state that the first president has done much to turn our country into a strong state,” he said at the “Nur Otan” party congress on January 28.
“We are tired of this”
In March 2019, when Nazarbayev’s resignation became known, many citizens took this news joylessly and thanked him for all his achievements. Three years later, the reaction of the people to the first president and his team leaving the political arena is dramatically different.
“When Nursultan Nazarbayev resigned, we felt very sad. We didn’t see another president and couldn’t even imagine that another person would rule the country. But when the capital city was renamed as Nur-Sultan and his monuments were erected everywhere, the people got angry. It’s very difficult in our country to find a good job if you don’t have right people in the right places. Young people leave to other countries for permanent residence because they don’t see any future here. Schools do not give good knowledge. We are tired of this,” said Zhanarbek Orazov, a resident of Shymkent.
Nuriya Aitkulova of Pavlodar once worked in the civil service, and then opened business – she was selling school uniform via tenders. But her business declined. Then she opened a bakeshop, but four years ago, the country adopted the law that equated the day and night electricity rates. And bread making became unprofitable.
“We have addressed the authorities many times, but no one even listened to us. Once, they even threatened to send me to a mental hospital. Afterwards, I cannot respect Nazarbayev. Air fares are just exorbitant because the main monopolist “Air Astana” belongs to the second wife of Nazarbayev. This is no secret. Deputies, officials have raised this question, but no one could have influence on this company,” she said.
“We have worked for the country’s image for 30 years by holding various international forums, Expo, etc. But living standard has become even worse. I think it’s the authorities to blame. However, Nursultan Nazarbayev has done some good things, as well. It’s the “Bolashak” programme, which sent our children to study to the best universities of the world. However, we can hardly live because of the crisis. I hope the new president will put things right,” said Mairash Yelgondina, resident of Nur-Sultan.
The gulf between Nazarbayev and the people
According to Adilet Yergizhitov, member of the bar of Semey, there has always been the gulf between Nazarbayev and the people. It was clear from his advices to the people to buy two cows, sell extra milk, and thus support the family, and also to stop eating foie gras, bananas, and to give up on Land Cruisers.
“I think he didn’t even visit social media and didn’t know the problems [of the people]. Those close to him made a khan out of him, a powerful ruler. No one told truth to him. He may have believed that all Kazakhs live happily because before his arrival to any region, the locals repaired roads, cleaned and painted everything, and fake people expressed gratitude to him,” Yergizhitov said.
According to political analyst Daniyar Ashimbaev, some relatives of the first president have discredited his policy a lot by their “business acumen.”
“The president got older, his foot-lickers elevated his cult, and some relatives based on those around them repeatedly talked about the importance of hereditary succession of power. Nazarbayev has repeatedly said that there would be no monarchy in the country, but the race for power continued,” he said.
Although the January events were taken by the society not as the victory over bandits and terrorists, but as “the victory of Tokayev over Nazarbayev”, it is not so in fact, he said.
“Nazarbayev has chosen Tokayev as his successor, made the society consolidate around his choice, and finally stopped all talks about “transit presidency.” We all understand that Nazarbayev could either be the president for life, or choose another person as his successor. But he made his choice and followed it,” Ashimbaev said.
Ex-deputy of parliament of Kazakhstan told about clan system and nepotism in cases of appointments to offices during the regime of Nazarbayev to CABAR.asia on the condition of anonymity.
“During the regime of Nazarbayev, every second official was a representative of the Senior Zhuz (a tribal union of Kazakh clans, south and southeast of Kazakhstan – editor’s note). Almost 97 per cent of ministers were from the Shaprashty (one of the clans of the Senior Zhuz – editor’s note). This is the clan of Nursultan Nazarbayev. We know what his brother Bolat Nazarbayev was doing. No laws of Kazakhstan were in force in his native village. And his native Almaty region was headed only by those from the Shaprashty. […] All these things have had a negative effect on the country’s economy,” ex-parliamentarian said.
Public figure and head of the “Korkeitu” fund Saken Sarkulov said that now Nazarbayev reaps what he has sown by not having gone with dignity in due time, and now his monuments, avenues and universities renamed in his honour cause anger.
“However, I think Tokayev will do everything to return the prestige of Nazarbayev. I won’t be surprised if he will be speaking before the people as the leader of nation in a year. However, his clan will certainly stop robbing the people,” Sarkulov said.
Now Kazakhstan is carrying out political reforms, change akims, political servants. Television channels almost do not show or speak about Nursultan Nazarbayev. And local citizens demand more often to return the previous name Astana to the capital.