Kazakhstan: President resigns unexpectedly

As reported by Radio Free Europe on 19 March 2019, President Nursultan Nazarbaev officially announced his decision to resign. Nazarbaev, who is 78 years old, has been the country"s leader since before the Soviet collapse of 1991. Speaker of the Upper Parliament chamber, Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev, is now acting president until elections are held in 2020. With the support of parliament, the acting president officially renamed Kazakhstan"s capital "˜Nursultan" (previously Astana) in honor of the first president of the country. Rolf Zeegers, persecution analyst at World Watch Research, was taken by surprise by President Nazarbaev"s decision - like many others (including Russia): "The succession question has been in the background for a number of years, but as in many other dictatorial countries the subject was not open for discussion. Interestingly, one day after Nazarbaev"s resignation, his 55 year old daughter Darigha Nazarbaeva, was elected to replace Toqaev as Speaker of Kazakhstan's Upper Parliament. Nazarbaev himself will remain powerful in the background - he still heads the ruling party and retains his lifetime post as chairman of the influential Security Council. For Christians, this change in leadership is not likely to bring any change for them at all."