KAZAKHSTAN: President Nursultan Nazarbayev celebrates May Day and touts the stability and diversity of his Central Asian stronghold

Record ID: 872615

  • Title: KAZAKHSTAN: President Nursultan Nazarbayev celebrates May Day and touts the stability and diversity of his Central Asian stronghold
  • Date: 1st May 2012
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF DANCERS PERFORMING IN COSTUME NAZARBAYEV AND HIS WIFE SARA NAZARBAYEVA CLAPPING NAZARBAYEV AND HIS WIFE WATCHING PERFORMANCE AND CLAPPING DANCERS ON FIELD SENIOR CITIZENS IN AUDIENCE VARIOUS OF PERFORMERS IN RUSSIAN TRADITIONAL COSTUME DANCING AUDIENCE MEMBERS WATCHING VARIOUS OF DANCERS ON FIELD BALLOONS IN AIR AUDIENCE WAVING COLOURFUL FLAGS AND BALLOONS VARIOUS OF DANCERS ON FIELD STREAMERS IN SKY VARIOUS OF NAZARBAYEV WALKING AND WAVING, PEOPLE APPLAUDING AUDIENCE AND SECURITY
  • Embargoed: 16th May 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Kazakhstan
  • City:
  • Country: Kazakhstan
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA9K8ANHOJFIFIOQQNXETV46SRV
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev on Tuesday (May 1) celebrated May Day in Almaty, taking in a colourful performance of traditional national dances and wishing a happy holiday to Almaty residents.
    Nazarbayev, the strongman leader of Central Asia's largest economy remains popular across the predominantly Muslim nation of 16.7 million people for the sustained economic growth and stability he has brought in an otherwise volatile region.
    He championed the country's growth and development since becoming independent from the Soviet Union and praised its population's diversity.
    "We in the short history of 20 years were able to build an independent government, made it known throughout the world. Relations between different nations and ethnicities are harmoniously interwoven into everything that the state does. And everyone uses us as a example, how we manage to do it," said the the former Communist party boss who often stresses stability and ethnic harmony as his priority.
    "If there's stability--where there's no stability, there can't be growth. We see that and we unite even more around the idea of creating better living conditions. Our programme of creating better jobs, of providing affordable housing, of good health care, of good education for our kids, this is our ideology. It's the ideology of friendship, the idea of unity, brotherhood of all people. That's how we will overcome all of the hardships that exist today," Nazarbayev said.
    A seven-month labour dispute between sacked oilmen and their employers erupted into fierce clashes with police in the western oil city of Zhanaozen on December 16. Official data suggest 16 people were killed on that day and another person died in clashes in a nearby village the following day.
    The riots broke out on the 20th anniversary of Kazakh independence from the Soviet Union and have become the most serious challenge to Nazarbayev in more than two decades in power.
    Nazarbayev, a 71-year-old former steelworker, has overseen market reforms but brooks no dissent.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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