By Tamara Vaal

NUR-SULTAN Reuters – A Russian-led military alliance will start withdrawing troops from Kazakhstan within two days after completing its primary mission, which was to stabilize the Central Asian nation after severe unrest. This statement came Tuesday by Kassym Jomart Tokayev, Kazakh president.

Tokayev stated to parliament that he would appoint Alikhan, a retired career public servant, to the role of prime minister. Smailov spoke out about plans for reducing the wealth gap, raising taxes on the mining sector and eliminating irregularities in state procurement. [L1N2TR0DW]

Tokayev, 68 years old, asked the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation(CSTO) last week to send in troops during the height of what he said was an attempt coup d’etat whose instigators, unnamed, had plunged half of the nation’s territory into violence.

One day before, he stated that the CSTO Mission, whose legitimacy was questioned by Washington, prompting an angry reply from Moscow, numbered 2 030 troops and 250 pieces military hardware.

Tokayev stated that the main mission of the CSTO’s peacekeeping force has been completed. He spoke to parliament via videoconference.

“In just two days, a gradual withdrawal of the CSTO unarmed peacekeeping contingent is expected to begin. It will only take 10 days for the contingent to be withdrawn.

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared Monday the crucial deployment, declaring victory over what he termed a foreign-backed terrorist rebellion.

Kazakh officials claim that order in the country of 19 million has been restored and almost 10,000 have been held over unrest. A hunt is ongoing for other detainees.

Authorities claim that peaceful demonstrations against rising car fuel prices were hijacked initially by groups seeking to overthrow government officials.

Central Asia experts have speculated that infighting within the country’s elite might have been a key factor in some of the most violent violence during the 30 year ex-Soviet Republic’s independence from Moscow.

Tokayev claimed that former leader Nursultan Nazarbayev was retiring as Head of the Security Council. Despite having handed the presidency over in 2019, Nazarbayev continued to be the puppeteer.

CSTO troops were also deployed first to Nur-Sultan as a protection force.

Karim Masimov, the head of NSC’s powerful National Security Committee (NSC), was fired by Tokayev. Masimov was arrested on suspicion of treason.

Tokayev spoke to parliament Tuesday to say that the NSC not only had missed the imminent threat but also had failed to properly act during unrest.

He said that “in some cities, the heads of National Security Committee department abandoned their buildings and left behind firearms as well as classified documents”

Tokayev didn’t name any additional suspects, but stated that the protests were a result of the failure to combat poverty and distribute income fairly.