Former Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has not been seen in public for a long time amid and after the unrest that swept the country, could be absent due to illness. This point of view was expressed by political scientist, head of the Eurasian Analytical Club Nikita Mendkovich.
The political scientist noted that numerous reports of the deterioration of Nazarbayev’s health and his ability to work began to appear in the early 2010s, although the politician himself repeatedly denied these rumors.
In turn, Mendkovich suggested that the events that began in Kazakhstan at the beginning of the year could undermine the health of the ex-president.
At the same time, the political scientist, in an interview with Lenta.ru, believes Nazarbayev’s words about his relationship with his successor, Kasym Zhomart-Tokayev.
“The issue of the transfer of power has been going on for a long time, and in many respects Tokayev could come to power thanks to the efforts of Nazarbayev himself. Therefore, I believe that there really is no conflict at the level of top officials, although I do not rule out intrigues involving their entourage,” Mendkovich said.
The interlocutor of the publication also suggested that Nazarbayev himself ceded the post of head of the Security Council of Kazakhstan to Tokayev, since he could no longer engage in politics due to his state of health and lack of desire.
Today, January 18, Nazarbayev, who has not been seen in public since December 28, broke his silence and released a video message .
The former head of state, in particular, said that he has been a pensioner since 2019, and Tokayev, according to him, has all the powers of power. He also denied rumors about the conflict of elites in the country.
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