The President, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, walked back the price increase, dismissed the cabinet of ministers and promised swift implementation of some welfare measures but the protests grew into demonstrations of disenchantment against the long rule of nearly 30 years by former President, Nursultan Nazarbayev, who stepped down in 2019. People chanted “Shal Ket!” (“Old man, go!”) at demonstrations across the country. Although he stepped down from the Presidency, Nazarbayev remained the head of the all-powerful National Security Council (NSC) and several of his family members continued to hold important government positions.
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