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Nursultan Nazarbayev officially takes up presidential post (UPDATE)

Politics Materials 8 April 2011 11:53 (UTC +04:00)

Details added from the inauguration ceremony (the first version was posted at 10:44)

Kazakhstan, Astana, April 8 / Trend, A. Maratov /

Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has been re-elected as Kazakh president, officially took office on Friday morning, swearing in on the Constitution.

"Dear compatriots, I am deeply honored to be a popularly elected as the president of the country on the 20th anniversary of Independence; to be the leader of our unique multi-ethnic motherland," Nazarbayev said.

He thanked the people for their support, saying that "this is the best assessment of the common labor".

The incumbent Kazakh President won 95.55 percent of the votes in the early presidential elections held on April 3.

Nazarbayev's inauguration ceremony was held at Independence Palace today. The inauguration ceremony was attended by foreign ambassadors accredited in Kazakhstan.

Protocol arrangements in the ceremony were ensured by servicemen of the ceremonial battalion of the Republican Guard: they brought the state symbols, the Constitution of Kazakhstan and the State flag, for the President, to the ceremony hall.

The ceremony was also attended by servicemen of the operational service battalion, which marched before the country's president.

Some 40,000 people wishing to welcome the President, gathered at a square in front of Independence Palace.

In accordance with the legislation, the Cabinet of Ministers, headed by Prime Minister Karim Masimov, will abdicate their responsibilities before the newly elected president. A government meeting will be held immediately following the inauguration.

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