Kazakhstan’s President proposes constitutional reforms to limit powers of his office

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has proposed constitutional reforms to limit powers of his office, saying the country needed to switch from “super presidential” rule to a presidential republic with a strong parliament.

Tokayev was elected president in 2019 with the backing of his predecessor Nursultan Nazarbayev, who had resigned after ruling the nation for 30 years.

Nazarbayev, gave up his remaining powers as head of Security Council and leader of ruling party during and after violent unrest in early January, and his relatives have since lost a number of influential positions in government and state companies.

Last week, authorities arrested one of Nazarbayev’s nephews in connection with an embezzlement probe and this week a businessman with links to his family was also arrested.

Addressing the parliament Tokayev proposed rolling back some of the legal changes that at the time helped Nazarbayev cement his grip on power.