Kazakh Leader Nursultan Nazarbayev steps down as President of Kazakhstan

President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev has declared he resigns.

“I have made the decision to terminate my presidential duties,” Nazarbayev said in his televised address to the nation on local television channels.

“It will be 30 years this year I hold this high post. People allowed me to be the first President of sovereign Kazakhstan,” he said.

Senate Speaker Kasym-Jomart Tokayev will perform presidential duties.

Nursultan Nazarbayev, who will turn 79 years this year, is the first and the only president of Kazakhstan. Since the country gained sovereignty in 1991, he won presidential elections several times, last time in snap election in April 2015 having gained 97.75% of votes. His current presidential term expires in April 2020.

In 2007, the Parliament of Kazakhstan gave the right to Nazarbayev as the first president to run for the president unlimited number of times.