Nursultan Nazarbayev said he would step down as president of Kazakhstan, the oil-rich Central Asian country he has ruled for three decades, while holding on to control of the ruling party and powerful government bodies.
In a televised address to the nation, Mr Nazarbayev, the last leader still in power from the days of the Soviet Union, said he would resign on Wednesday. He will install Kassym Jomart Tokayev, the chairman of the Kazakh senate and a loyal ally, as acting president until the end of the term in 2020. Kazakhstan, in effect a one-party state, is due to hold presidential elections by April next year.
“I remain with you as a citizen of the country, as a person who loves his people, his people,” Mr Nazarbayev said. “I see my future task in ensuring power transition to the new generation, who will continue the transformation taking place in the country.”