Statement by Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the inauguration ceremony of the elected President of the Republic of Kazakhstan

31 Jul 2019

12 June 2019
Dear Elbasy!
Dear compatriots!

First of all, I would like to express my profound thanks to the people of Kazakhstan who have supported me during the campaign and placed their faith in my presidency. The elections reinforced our country’s principles of democracy. There was fair and open competition at the polling stations.

Politicians from all sides engaged in the process. It was an open contest where political parties and policies were judged on their merits. There is a common saying that “Elections are simply a race of opinions”.

Indeed, this is a fair comparison. In the most important political race in our nation’s history, the wisdom and good judgment of our people prevailed. This victory is a victory for all our people! As a progressive, unified nation, we have collectively chosen the way forward for Kazakhstan’s future development.

The opinion of each citizen who voted for a bright future on June 9 matters. It matters to us. After all, our most important, common values are the peace, unity and solidarity of our people. Protecting these values should be a priority for all of us.

Therefore, as Kazakhstan’s newly elected President, I would like to say the following to our people:

My ultimate goal is to protect the interests of every citizen. I will not allow anyone or anything to drive a wedge between us, based on a difference of political views or positions.

I will consider the valuable proposals and initiatives which are put forward by various political and community leaders.

We will continue to work openly and fairly. The most important principle for us is to serve loyally, in accordance with the law. There is only one Homeland for us! Our destiny is common!

We will work together for the benefit of our people!

In these elections our citizens voted to support the strategic direction of the First President!

Nursultan Nazarbayev has built a model of development that was recognized worldwide. Thanks to him, the pale-blue flag of Kazakhstan is waving around the world. Over recent days, I have received many letters from our fellow citizens. All of them share the same common vision, to follow the path, preserve and strengthen the strategy of the First President.

In fact, it is a legitimate request of the people to call for such a thing. The progress of modern Kazakhstan is, first and foremost, thanks to the work and dedication of the First President.

Elbasy is the founder of the Kazakh state, a statesman on a global scale. And so it is written in world history. It is a common duty for all of us to respect the great service the First President has done for our people and the global community. Dear compatriots!

During the election campaign, I visited many parts of the country. My political platform has been developed in response to the main requests of our citizens.

First, I will work on the implementation of the Third Modernisation of Kazakhstan, the implementation of Five Institutional reforms and other important strategic state projects. In other words, I am going to work to deliver on the First President’s long-term Strategy.

New approaches and new solutions are needed for the country to reach the next level of sustainable development. They will soon be made public.Secondly, I plan to specifically address acute social problems, providing assistance to those most in need. The government will take concrete steps to achieve tangible results in this area. We need to make serious changes to our social policy. We need to systematically reform our social policies.

Third. I will support Kazakh entrepreneurs, attract and protect investments, stimulate business activity, and expand our broad middle class. Fourth. My goal is to ensure the unity of society and protect the rights of every citizen.

And finally – always and forever I will defend the national interests of Kazakhstan. Today, the world has entered an era of rapid change. Technology, economies and social order are changing. The vision of people, especially young people, is changing.

Kazakhstan faces new challenges and threats. As a long-term student of international relations, I feel the advent of a new era approaching.

Trade wars, tensions in international relations, the breakdown of previous security mechanisms, the growth of regional conflicts –this is the new geopolitical reality. Over the coming years, the leading issues of our time will come to the fore: which countries will be able to effectively adapt and integrate to the new global realities, and who will be left on the sidelines of world development. Economic, social and political progress is our only correct response to the challenges of our time.

We are open to the world, striving to secure the best achievements and advanced technologies. Creative change for the benefit of all our people is how I view progress. At the same time, the authorities are obliged to hear people’s demands, solve problems on the ground, and must be accountable to the citizens. Not promise, but act! This rule should be followed by all members of the government and the regional mayors across the country.

As President, the most important measure of progress is not the overall figure of economic development, but the real well-being of all citizens. Therefore, when making decisions on strategic issues, the view of the people will be considered.

The formula of our state governance: a strong, empowered President – an influential, capable Parliament – a government accountable to the people. It is this political system that best meets the needs of our state, responds to complex geopolitical realities and contributes to the implementation of the strategic tasks facing us.

At the same time, the political transformation of society will continue. The political structures and institutions must align with wide-ranging economic transformations, otherwise the reforms may be stifled. This is clearly evidenced by international experience. Only decent, educated people, appointed based on meritocracy, should work within public administration. There can be no other principle of recruitment. Overall, we must raise the responsibility of the authorities to the needs of people. Special attention will be paid to the development of civil society.

Dear people! My pre-election campaign focused on a wide-ranging public consultation. On May 13, 2019, the national action #BIRGE began. Its main goal is to identify the most important tasks in the development of the country. Various proposals were collected from all regions of Kazakhstan. At this point, approximately 540,000 proposals have been received.
I express my sincere gratitude to everyone who took part in the #BIRGE action and showed civic pride.

Now we can clearly identify actual problems facing society. We know how to solve them. What is the public most concerned about today?

Firstly, citizens want justice everywhere. The citizens require state bodies to provide proper service that starts, first of all, from social policy. The main issue of concern is the reduction of incomes. The destabilisation of international financial markets and the devaluation of the tenge had a negative impact on people’s incomes. More than a million of our citizens had to take a loan from a bank. The gap between high and low-income citizens is another pressing issue that concerns society. Of course, such challenges are present in every nation, but we cannot stand aside and let this issue go unaddressed.

Therefore, we must take action in the medium term to address these acute socio-economic and political problems. The current poor state of the environment is another matter of public concern.

Therefore, we need to develop and adopt a single environmental policy. A new environmental code would give impetus to a system of environmental protection. The next problem is access to the water supply.

Every home, every family shall have access to clean drinking water. Another important issue of public concern is the quality of roads. That is why improving road conditions is one of our main goals. One of the biggest challenges that we face in the 21st Century is digitisation. We must embrace it in all spheres of our life starting with the provision of public services through to the creation of the new branches in the future economy. The development of the country, including political progress is directly connected to digitisation.

It will improve the relationship between the state and society. Therefore, the state programme Digital Kazakhstan first introduced by Leader of the Nation must be completed.
Our citizens are deeply concerned about the development of dialogue between the government and the society.

This dialogue should be based on the recognition of pluralism of opinion. Different views, but one united nation – this is the main guideline. That is why I decided to establish the National Council of Public Trust. This Council shall embrace all the representatives of society, including the youth. The first meeting of the National Council of Public Trust will take place in August this year. The authorities are obliged to fulfill their promises which they made to the people. It is our primary mission. It is the only way to strengthen the unity of the nation and maintain stability in the country.

Therefore, a substantial programme regarding the implementation of my election platform shall be developed.

The best ideas and initiatives put forward by the people will be reflected in this document.We must pay special attention to the following important directions:

First Direction. Increasing the income of the population. This issue can only be resolved through sustained and dynamic economic growth. First, we need to deeply understand why we need growth. In order for our citizens to be able to live and work in their country, raise children, rejoice and be proud of the achievements of our people, there must be economic growth. Soon, at the enlarged meeting of the government, we will define specific tasks for the socio-economic development of the country.

Second direction. Eradication of corruption. A package of reforms aimed at minimising the level of corruption will be prepared by September 1. Corruption is an issue that hinders the country’s development. It is a scourge that threatens mutual respect in society and the security of the state as a whole. We will carry out systematic work to combat corruption.

Third direction. Reform of the judicial and law enforcement systems. The courts system is the key to the rule of law. Therefore, judges must meet high professional and moral standards – a big task.
The system used to evaluate and select judges and candidates for this post should be strengthened. The court must be the ultimate arbitrator of justice. The main task of the law enforcement system is to gain the trust of the people.

Fourth direction. Creation of new jobs and provision of decent wages. The question of equitable distribution of national income is a strategically important point.

It is necessary to allocate funds from the state budget, in the first instance, for long-term goals and the creation of new jobs. Fifth direction. A solution to the housing problem. I pay special attention to the availability of affordable housing for many different groups of citizens.
Our task is to develop a common housing policy. The government will take concrete measures in this regard.

Sixth direction. Fair social policy. We will continue to be focused on a policy of the sustainable development of human capital. What do we need to do in this regard? 1 - Support for wide-scale education.
2- Provision of quality medical services to the entire population.
We are developing new policies to help expand delivery of these issues. We will adopt new laws that will raise the status of teachers and doctors. We will create favorable conditions to protect their rights and improve their financial situation.

Seventh direction. New guidelines for regional development. Our principle are widely known. We believe that strong regions equals a strong Kazakhstan. Specific issues of concern to our citizens should be resolved at the local level. We will strengthen the system of local self-government. The population will be given the powers to collectively address regional problems.

Eighth direction. The values of “Ruhani Zhangyru” will remain our main spiritual guide. Honouring history, loyalty to the Motherland, the pursuit of science and knowledge are all noble qualities of our people. These qualities strengthen the unity of our people and the creation of the nation, contributing to the formation of a competitive country.
Young people will lead Kazakhstan into the future. Therefore, we must direct this programme to the education of the younger generation. Ninth direction.

Foreign policy. Kazakhstan has earned great international prestige and established itself as a peace-loving, open country, as well as a reliable and responsible partner in global affairs. We will continue on our path of a constructive, balanced, multi-vector foreign policy. We will firmly promote and defend our national interests on the global stage. Our foreign policy will bring concrete benefits to the country, national businesses and every citizen.

Tenth direction. I separately want to appeal to the youth. You must play a crucial role in the development of Kazakhstan, and to become the driving force of progress. Elbasy declared 2019 the Year of Youth. The special project “Zhastar - Yel Tіregі” was just the start. We are implementing a programme for the development of youth business initiatives called “Zhas kіsіpker”, we will offer greater support to youth startups. We will introduce youth employment programmes. My task is to create opportunities so that you can fulfil your dreams, achieve your goals and create your personal “success story”. A “Presidential personnel reserve” will be created in order to promote young talented managers at all levels of the public service. Our young people are self-motivated, hardworking and creative, that is why the future of Kazakhstan is in safe hands.

Dear Compatriots! We have a great task before our nation! Our goal is clear, and our path is open! Kazakhstan has become a country of new opportunities and prospects. Our youth and future generations will reap the benefits of these opportunities. We are a nation that honours the traditions of our ancestors while striving for the best global achievements.

This is the pillar of our strength. We are going to overcome all the challenges ahead. We will work together for the development of a strong and prosperous Kazakhstan. Faithfulness to my oath and a firm commitment to the obligation is my duty to the people. I promise to work hard for the bright future of Kazakhstan, for the people. I wish all of you good health and happiness. Long live our beloved Motherland – the Republic of Kazakhstan!