Kazakh Leader’s Call for Dialog Met With Plans for New Protests
- New president Tokayev calls for dialog with protesters
- Protests continued today after 700 people detained earlier
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Kazakh police detained dozens of people during a protest against the election of the nation’s new president, adding to hundreds more jailed in demonstrations that have marred leader Nursultan Nazarbayev’s efforts to transfer power to a hand-picked successor.
Former Senate leader Kassym-Jomart Tokayev dominated Sunday’s presidential ballot, taking 71% of the vote to take over from Nazarbayev, who had ruled the country since before the collapse of the Soviet Union. Tokayev called for dialog Wednesday and said he’d ordered the formation of a “national council of public trust” to address protesters’ concerns.