Nazarbayev's chairmanship in Kazakh Security Council, Assembly of People of Kazakhstan formally terminated

NUR-SULTAN. Feb 7 (Interfax) - Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed into law a bill amending and augmenting certain constitutional laws, the presidential press service said on Monday.

From now on, government initiatives do not have to be coordinated with First Kazakh President, Leader of the Nation Nursultan Nazarbayev.

The Mazhilis supported the Senate's initiative and amended the law on the first president of Kazakhstan, removing the provision which says that every initiative concerning key areas of domestic and foreign policy must be coordinated with Nazarbayev.

Additionally, the bill amended an article of the law on the first president of Kazakhstan, which defined his status and powers. According to the amendments, Nazarbayev will no longer chair the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan and the Kazakh Security Council.

At the same time, the amendments leave Nazarbayev entitled to speak to the entire parliament or to its houses, attend government meetings during debates on major issues, and be a member of the Constitutional Council of Kazakhstan.

Tokayev has also signed into law a bill amending and augmenting certain legislative acts of Kazakhstan to ensure the transition of the chairmanship in the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan and the Kazakh Security Council to the Kazakh president.

Nazarbayev announced his resignation as head of state but retained some other positions, such as his chairmanship in the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan and the Kazakh Security Council, in March 2019. He handed over chairmanship of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan to incumbent Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in April 2021. Tokayev became the chairman of the Kazakh Security Council in early January 2022 in the midst of unrest in Kazakhstan.