Kazakhstan removes ex-president’s daughter as senate speaker

MOSCOW – The daughter of Kazakhstan’s former president, once viewed as his heir-apparent, has been dismissed from her post as speaker of the country’s senate.

Dariga Nazarbayeva was removed Saturday by an order from President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev; she also lost her seat in the senate.

No reason was stated for the dismissal. Nazarbayeva became senate speaker in March 2019 on the same day that her father, Nursultan Nazarbayev, unexpectedly resigned.

Nazarbayev had led Kazakhstan since independence in 1991 and many expected that his daughter would succeed him. But Tokayev was named acting president and was elected to the presidency in June.