Kazakhstan: President Tokayev replaces his interior minister

Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev speaks during his televised address to the nation in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, January 7, 2022. AP

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In Kazakhstan, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has replaced his interior minister.

This is one more step towards handing over the leadership of the former Soviet republic, more than a month and a half after he seized the main levers of power thanks to the violent demonstrations which shook this country of 16 million inhabitants at the beginning of January.

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After the January riots, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was concerned about the image of his government team.

It was therefore necessary to change the Minister of the Interior, Yerlan Turgumbaïev, with the past, not very brilliant, of brutal police chief.

For several weeks, the population has been asking for his head, accusing him of having let his teams use violence against their fellow citizens and even causing

wrongfully detained at the beginning of January.

Turgumbaïev is thus replaced by Marat Akhmetjanov, with a much clearer past: he was previously head of the anti-corruption services in Kazakhstan, reports our correspondent in the Caucasus and Central Asia,

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Remove the Nazarbayev clan

The people had expressed their anger in January during events that killed more than 220 people and precipitated the fall of the clan of former President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who ruled the country with an iron fist for three decades, until in 2019. 

The eldest daughter of the former president has left her seat in parliament, electoral authorities said on Friday, a new sign of being sidelined from the circle of the man who led this Central Asian country for three decades.

Dariga Nazarbayeva, 58, has in the past been seen as the one who could succeed her father, before the latter passed the torch to Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

But, an indication that things may not change that much in this authoritarian regime, Yerlan Turgumbaïev, now ex-minister of the interior, has been appointed adviser to the head of state.

In recent days, the few demonstrators who wanted to rally in support of the Ukrainian people have been dispersed, despite the pacifism of their action.

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• Kazakhstan

• Kassym-Jomart Tokayev