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Eurasianet (21 October 2019)

Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan’s former president, has gained sweeping new powers over government appointments in a move that dilutes the powers of his successor, Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev, and may confirm rumors of a power struggle being waged between the two men.

Under a presidential decree signed by Tokayev and dated October 9 but made public on October 21, Nazarbayev effectively gained a veto over who is appointed to most of the country’s most powerful decision-making positions.

In the decree, Tokayev ceded his right to unilaterally appoint most cabinet ministers, heads of various security forces and regional governors, granting Nazarbayev a consultative role in the appointments in his capacity as chairman of the Security Council.

Tokayev will retain the right to appoint three cabinet ministers without consulting Nazarbayev: the ministers of defense, internal affairs and foreign affairs.

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