Kazakhstan's New President Pledges to Continue Nazarbayev's Policies

ASTANA (Sputnik) - Kazakhstan's acting President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said Wednesday that he will continue the policies of Nursultan Nazarbayev, the country's former head of state who announced his resignation yesterday.

Tokayev was formally sworn in earlier in the day. He will perform the duties of the president until the 2020 election.

"I am planning to direct my knowledge and experience to the preservation of the strategic policies [of the former leader]", he said after the swearing-in ceremony.
Tokayev also noted that the country's capital Astana should be renamed after ex-President Nazarbayev.

"I believe it is necessary to memorialise the name of our great contemporary, the first president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev. Our capital should be renamed after him and be called Nursultan", the head of state said. READ MORE: WATCH: Kazakh President Nazarbayev Announces His Resignation Tokayev also said that Nazarbayev should be granted the status of honorary senator.

"As the former chairman of the Kazakh Parliament's Senate [upper chamber], I consider it necessary to grant Elbasy [leader of the nation, Nazarbayev] the status of honorary senator", Tokayev said.
Tokayev conferred upon Nazarbayev the titles of Hero of Kazakhstan and the Hero of Labour of Kazakhstan.
In the meantime, Dariga Nazarbayeva, daughter of the ex-president, has been nominated for speaker of Kazakhstan's upper house of Parliament.

©
Sputnik / Sergey Guneev Kazakh President Nazarbayev Resigns
Nazarbayev, 78, held a number of senior posts in the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, which was a part of the Soviet Union. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Nazarbayev remained in power, becoming president of the independent Republic of Kazakhstan. Despite his resignation as president after almost 29 years in office, Nazarbayev remains head of the country's Security Council and leader of the ruling party Nur Otan.Source: sputniknews.com