Nazarbayev explains his resignation with need for change in Kazakhstan
NUR-SULTAN. Oct 12 (Interfax) - The first president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, said that he decided to step down because the country needed change and a new outlook.
"Some part of the population can still get weary of the same person, there is this aspect. Secondly, change is necessary. Nothing stands still. New people, new cadres are needed. Anyone different have their own view and their attitude, so this decision [to resign] was an absolutely well-thought-out step," Nazarbayev told the Khabar state television channel aired on Friday.
"I think I did the right thing and I don't regret having done so or whom I chose as my successor," he said.
Nazarbayev thanked Kazakhstanis for trust, noting that had he "not inherited the strong energy from his parents," he would have collapsed under the pressure of the "difficult years" of presidency.