Kazakh police detain dozens at opposition rallies after president quits (updated)

Rockhaven Resources

22/03/2019 08:52

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    ASTANA, March 22 (Reuters) - Police arrested dozens of
opposition supporters staging rallies in Kazakhstan's two major
cities on Friday, three days after the surprise resignation of
veteran leader Nursultan Nazarbayev, according to Reuters
witnesses.
    Nazarbayev resigned earlier this week, saying a new
generation of leaders was needed. Senate speaker Kassym-Jomart
Tokayev was made interim president. Nazarbayev's daughter Dariga
Nazarbayeva was elected speaker in Tokayev's place.
    Nazarbayev's foe, fugitive banker and opposition politician
Mukhtar Ablyazov who organised the protests, has accused the
78-year-old politician of planning a dynastic succession that
would see his daughter succeed him.
    Friday's rallies in the capital Astana and in Almaty,
Khazakstan's biggest city, were small, with dozens of
participants. A similar number gathered on Thursday, the first
day of the protests which seem unlikely to pose a threat to the
government led by Nazarbayev loyalists.
    Protesters in Almaty carrying blue balloons - the emblem of
opposition -  mixed with crowds attending Nowruz festivities, a
regional pre-Islamic holiday celebrated on the spring equinox,
and soccer fans saluting Kazakhstan's surprise victory over
Scotland.
    Although there were no slogans, chants or banners, some
participants shouted they opposed Astana's renaming. Tokayev,
who assumed presidential powers until the current term ends in
April 2020, said on Wednesday that Astana, the capital, would be
renamed Nur-Sultan in Nazarbayev's honour.
    Police, including officers in full riot gear, quickly
detained virtually all the protesters who shouted "Shame!" as
they were bundled off. Public rallies are illegal in Kazakhstan
without the authorities' permission.
    On Thursday around 20 people protesting against the renaming
outside Astana mayor's office were also detained by police.
    The Ablyazov-led DVK movement has been declared extremist in
the former Soviet republic and he himself is wanted at home on
charges ranging from fraud to murder - all of which he denies.
    Nazarbayev, who retains significant powers as chairman of
the Security Council, has not exited the Kazakh political stage
despite his resignation and spoke to Russian President Vladimir
Putin by phone on Thursday together with Tokayev.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N2183E9

 (Reporting by Tamara Vaal in Astana and Mariya Gordeyeva in
Almaty
Editing by Andrew Osborn and Raissa Kasolowsky)
 ((olzhas.auyezov@thomsonreuters.com ; +7 727 2508 500; Reuters
Messaging: olzhas.auyezov.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))