Dariga Nursultanqyzy Nazarbayeva ( kk, Дариға Нұрсұлтанқызы Назарбаева, '; born 7 May 1964) is a Kazakh businesswoman and politician who is the daughter of the first President of Kazakhstan
Nursultan Nazarbayev
Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev ( kk, Нұрсұлтан Әбішұлы Назарбаев, Nūrsūltan Äbişūlı Nazarbaev, ; born 6 July 1940) is a Kazakh politician and military officer who served as the first President of Kazakhstan, in off ...
. She served as a member of the lower house Mazhilis from 10 January 2021 until 25 February 2022, and previously from 15 January 2012 to 11 September 2015, 19 September 2004 to 20 June 2007 respectively. She was Deputy Chairwoman of Mazhilis from 2014 to 2015 until being appointed as a
Deputy Prime Minister
A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...
Senate of Kazakhstan
The Senate of Kazakhstan ( kk, Qazaqstan Parlamentınıñ Senaty, ''Қазақстан Парламентінің Сенаты'') is the upper house of two chambers in Kazakhstan's legislature, known as the Parliament (''Parlamenti''). The Sen ...
in 2016. She served as the Senate Chairwoman from 2019 to 2020. Nazarbayeva is the eldest daughter of
Nursultan Nazarbayev
Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev ( kk, Нұрсұлтан Әбішұлы Назарбаев, Nūrsūltan Äbişūlı Nazarbaev, ; born 6 July 1940) is a Kazakh politician and military officer who served as the first President of Kazakhstan, in off ...
who was the
President of Kazakhstan
The president of the Republic of Kazakhstan ( kk, Қазақстан Республикасының Президенті, Qazaqstan Respublikasynyñ Prezidentı; russian: Президент Республики Казахстан, Prezident Respu ...
from 1990 to 2019.
Nazarbayeva began her career in 1994 in media business as she headed Khabar, the largest national television agency in Kazakhstan. In 2003, she founded the Asar party and the following year later in
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
for the first time, Nazarbayeva was elected to the Mazhilis. While serving the post there, the Asar in 2006 merged with the Amanat, a ruling party that was led by her father Nazarbayev. Following the dissolution of the Mazhilis in 2007, Nazarbayeva did not run for re-election and remained out of politics until her eventual return in
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
to the Mazhilis seat where she was the Deputy Chair and
parliamentary leader
A parliamentary leader is a political title or a descriptive term used in various countries to designate the person leading a parliamentary group or caucus in a legislative body, whether it be a national or sub-national legislature. They are the ...
of Amanat. In 2015, Nazarbayeva was appointed by her father as
Deputy Prime Minister
A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...
under PM
Karim Massimov
Karim Qazhymqanuly Massimov ( kk, Кәрім Қажымқанұлы Мәсімов, ; born 15 June 1965)Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
in 2016 as a
Senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
. After her father's resignation from presidency in 2019, Nazarbayeva took over
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
Kassym-Jomart Kemeluly Tokayev ( kk, Қасым-Жомарт Кемелұлы Тоқаев, Qasym-Jomart Kemelūly Toqaev ; born 17 May 1953) is a Kazakh politician and diplomat who is currently serving as the President of Kazakhstan since 12 J ...
's role as the Senate Chair, while Tokayev in turn, became the
President of Kazakhstan
The president of the Republic of Kazakhstan ( kk, Қазақстан Республикасының Президенті, Qazaqstan Respublikasynyñ Prezidentı; russian: Президент Республики Казахстан, Prezident Respu ...
. In 2020, she was unexpectedly removed from the post by Tokayev shortly before returning to the Mazhilis once more in
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
.
Because of Nazarbayeva's high-ranking official positions and relations with her father, it had been widely speculated that she was potentially being prepared for presidency as a way to succeed Nazarbayev's legacy in a
nepotist
Nepotism is an advantage, privilege, or position that is granted to relatives and friends in an occupation or field. These fields may include but are not limited to, business, politics, academia, entertainment, sports, fitness, religion, an ...
fashion despite the dismissed claims by Nazarbayev himself.
Early life and education
Nazarbayeva was born at
Temirtau
Temirtau ( kz, Теміртау, translit=Temırtau; russian: Темиртау) is a city in the Karaganda Region of Kazakhstan. The population was 170,481 in the 1999 census, rising to 210,590 in 2015.
The city is located on the Nura River (the ...
in 1964. In 1981–1982, she completed her secondary education at K. Satpayev Gymnasium No. 56 in
Alma-Ata
Almaty (; kk, Алматы; ), formerly known as Alma-Ata ( kk, Алма-Ата), is the largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population of about 2 million. It was the capital of Kazakhstan from 1929 to 1936 as an autonomous republic as part of t ...
. From 1980 to 1983, she studied at the history department at
Moscow State University
M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU; russian: Московский государственный университет имени М. В. Ломоносова) is a public research university in Moscow, Russia and the most prestigious ...
. She graduated from the S. M. Kirov Kazakh State University in 1985, and in 1991, defending her thesis for a candidate degree in historical sciences at the Moscow State University. In 1998, Nazarbayeva defended her thesis for Ph.D degree in political sciences at the Russian Academy of State Service.
Career
Nazarbayeva became the vice president of her mother
Sara Nazarbayeva
Sara Alpysovna Nazarbayeva ( kk, Сара Алпысқызы Назарбаева, ', , russian: Сара Алпысовна Назарбаева, née Konakayeva (Qonaqaeva, Қонақаева); born 12 February 1941) served as the First Lady of ...
Khabar TV
The Khabar Agency (KA) ( kk, "Хабар" Агенттігі, translit="Xabar" Agenttıgı; russian: Агентство «Хабар») is a major media outlet in Kazakhstan. It was established in 1995, known originally as the National Television ...
channel was created. The organizations associated to Nazarbayeva purchased the
Europa Plus
Europa Plus () is a Russian commercial radio station. It is owned by the European Media Group and started broadcasting on 30 April 1990. It is mainly formatted with Hot AC and Top 40.
Europa Plus began brodcasting in the USSR in 1990.
Europa P ...
Radio Station, KTK and NTK television companies and popular newspaper ''Сaravan''. TV-Media and Alma-Media companies were established to manage the new media holding. In 1998, Khabar was transformed into a closed joint-stock company, and Nazarbayeva became President of the Company, and in 2001, the Chairperson of the Board of Directors.
Since the late 1990s, Nazarbayeva has regularly appeared on Kazakh TV as a singer. Her repertoire includes Kazakh folk songs, Russian romances, opera arias and songs by Joe Dassin. In 2011, Nazarbayeva gave a recital “Salem, Russia” in Moscow on the new stage in the
Bolshoi Theater
The Bolshoi Theatre ( rus, Большо́й теа́тр, r=Bol'shoy teatr, literally "Big Theater", p=bɐlʲˈʂoj tʲɪˈatər) is a historic theatre in Moscow, Russia, originally designed by architect Joseph Bové, which holds ballet and ope ...
, and the Organ Hall of Astana. A Russian company Universal Music filmed her concert performances at various venues for the musical television movie My Star. The two-part film was presented in 2012. In 2013, she gave a concert, co-organized by
Count
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
Pierre Sheremetev, at the
Théâtre des Champs-Élysées
The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées () is an entertainment venue standing at 15 avenue Montaigne in Paris. It is situated near Avenue des Champs-Élysées, from which it takes its name. Its eponymous main hall may seat up to 1,905 people, while th ...
in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, with the
Orchestre Lamoureux
The Orchestre Lamoureux () officially known as the Société des Nouveaux-Concerts and also known as the Concerts Lamoureux) is an orchestral concert society which once gave weekly concerts by its own orchestra, founded in Paris by Charles Lamoureu ...
directed by
Dmitry Yablonsky
Dmitry Albertovich Yablonsky (russian: Дмитрий Альбертович Яблонский) (born 1962) is a Russian classical cellist and conductor, who was educated at the Juilliard School of Music and Yale University.
Early life and e ...
and the Sazgen sazi group directed by Baghdat Tilegenov, and with some artists as the pianist Timur Urmancheev, Sundet Baigozhin or Medet Chotabaev.
Political career
Chair of the Asar (2003–2006)
In October 2002, Nazarbayeva became the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Choice of the Young People block; it was proposed to create the Congress of Youth of Kazakhstan at the first conference of the block.
In October 2003, Nazarbayeva organized and became the leader of the Asar Republican Party. In a few months, more than 167,000 applications were collected from those wishing to join Asar; 139,000 applications were processed and authenticated, and 77,000 signatures were submitted to the
Ministry of Justice A Ministry of Justice is a common type of government department that serves as a justice ministry.
Lists of current ministries of justice
Named "Ministry"
* Ministry of Justice (Abkhazia)
* Ministry of Justice (Afghanistan)
* Ministry of Just ...
for registration. In December 2003, the party was registered.
According to the results of the elections to the Mazhilis in 2004, the party polled 541,239 (11.38%) votes on a party list basis and ranked the third; Nazarbayeva became a member on the party list in the Mazhilis, and three members from the Asar were elected in single-member constituencies.
On 4 July 2006, an extraordinary party convention was held where they decided to merge with the Otan Republican Political Party (Amanat since December 2006), and Nazarbayeva became the Deputy Chair of the Amanat.
Parliamentarian career
Member of the Mazhilis (2004–2007, 2012–2015, 2021–present)
In February 2005, a new Deputy Group of Aimak formed in the Parliament, consisting of 36 deputies (28 deputies from the Mazhilis and 8 deputies from the Senate). Nazarbayeva was elected as the group leader. The main goals of the Aimak Deputy Group were to promote and monitor the implementation of existing state and industry programs aimed at regional development, take an active part in the development and legislative support of administrative reform and local self-government and develop entrepreneurship. She remained as a member of the Mazhilis until it's dissolution on 20 June 2007.
In the 2012 Kazakh legislative election, Nazarbayeva ran again in the Amanat party list which won 83 seats. She headed the Mazhilis Committee on Socio-Cultural Development.
On 3 April 2014, Nazarbayeva was unanimously chosen as a
Deputy Chair of the Mazhilis
Deputy or depute may refer to:
* Steward (office)
* Khalifa, an Arabic title that can signify "deputy"
* Deputy (legislator), a legislator in many countries and regions, including:
** A member of a Chamber of Deputies, for example in Italy, Spain, ...
and the
parliamentary leader
A parliamentary leader is a political title or a descriptive term used in various countries to designate the person leading a parliamentary group or caucus in a legislative body, whether it be a national or sub-national legislature. They are the ...
of Amanat. On 11 September 2015, she was appointed as a
Deputy Prime Minister
A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...
.
Nazarbayeva reappeared on the Amanat party-list at a congress on 25 November 2020 where she made her first public appearance since being dismissed from the Senate Chair post, bringing her candidacy to the Mazhilis seat again. The Amanat maintained its control over the Mazhilis following the 2021 legislative elections, sweeping 76 seats. From there, she became a member of the Committee for Economic Reforms and Regional Development.
Member of the Senate (2016–2020)
On 13 September 2016, Nazarbayeva was appointed to the
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
; she was designated as the head of the Senate's International Affairs, Defense, and Security Committee on 16 September.
= Chairwoman of the Senate
=
On the same day her father stepped down as the President of Kazakhstan, Nazarbayeva was appointed as the Senate Chair in a unanimous secret ballot on 20 March 2019. She succeeded
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
Kassym-Jomart Kemeluly Tokayev ( kk, Қасым-Жомарт Кемелұлы Тоқаев, Qasym-Jomart Kemelūly Toqaev ; born 17 May 1953) is a Kazakh politician and diplomat who is currently serving as the President of Kazakhstan since 12 J ...
in that role, who was became the acting president of the country. According to
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
, this may have been a signal that Nazarbayeva was being groomed to become president herself. Several speculations arose that Nazarbayeva was preparing her presidential bid for the 2019 presidential elections in which the allegations were revealed to be false according to her close aide on 9 April 2019.
On 2 May 2020, she was removed from the Senate and her role as the Chair by Tokayev. Many theories arose that either Tokayev was expanding his political influence or a sign of growing feud between the Kazakhstan's ruling elite. Others claimed that the reason was due to public scandals regarding her son Aisultan and the British court case which ruined Nazarbayeva's reputation and her fathers image.
Awards and Decorations
*:
**Order of the Leopard, 1st class (2 December 2021)
** Order of the Leopard, 2nd class (December 2013)
**
Order of Parasat
The Order of Parasat ( kk, Парасат ордені, ''Parasat ordeni''; the Order of Nobility) is an order awarded by the government of Kazakhstan. It was established in 1993.
The order is awarded to notable figures in the fields of science, ...
(December 2004)
**Astana Medal (17 August 1998)
**
Medal "10 Years of Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan"
A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...
Medal "10 Years of Astana"
The Medal "10 years of Astana" ( Kazakh: Астанаға 10 жыл, ''Astanaǵa 10 jyl'') is a state award of Kazakhstan. It was first introduced on May 6, 2008, in honor of 10 year anniversary of the city of Astana.
List of Recipients
* Nursu ...
(6 May 2008)
**
Medal "20 Years of Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan"
A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...
(2011)
**Medal "20 Years of Tenge" (September 2013)
**Medal "20 Years of the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan" (5 August 2015)
** Medal of Nur Otan (3 May 2013)
** Medal of the Constitutional Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan (30 August 2013)
** Medal "20th Anniversary of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan" (14 March 2015)
** Medal "25 Years of Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan" (2016)
** Medal "20 Years of Astana" (30 June 2018)
*:
**Order of the Commonwealth (2017)
** Silver medal of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States, 20 years (27 March 2012)
** Medal of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States, 25 years (27 March 2017)
*:
** Chevalier of the National Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (April 2009)
Personal life
Family
Nazarbayeva had a long marriage to Kazakh businessman and politician
Rakhat Aliyev
Rakhat Mukhtaruly Aliyev ( kk, Рахат Мұхтарұлы Әлиев, ''Rahat Mūhtarūly Äliev''; 10 December 1962 – 24 February 2015) was a senior official of the government of Kazakhstan who died in an Austrian prison awaiting trial on c ...
until their divorce in June 2007. Aliyev held senior posts in Kazakhstan's domestic intelligence agency and foreign ministry, and later as ambassador to
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
. In 2004, a woman alleged to be Aliyev's mistress was found dead, having fallen from a tall apartment building in
Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
. He was stripped of his titles in 2007 after critiquing President Nazarbayev for altering the nation's constitution to allow him to be president for life. Aliyev claimed that his divorce was executed without his consent, and that it was forced by Nazarbayev.
Aliyev was convicted in absentia for various crimes in Kazakhstan. Austria refused to extradite him, but were preparing to try him for the kidnapping and murder of two Kazakh bank officials. Before the trial, he was founded dead in his Austrian jail cell due to alleged suicide.
Nazarbayeva has two sons with Aliyev, Nurali and Aisultan, and a daughter Venera.Моя семья СЕМЬЯ She is also a grandmother. Nurali's wife gave birth to Laura Aliyeva in 2013.У старшего сына Дариги Назарбаевой Нурали родилась дочь Лаура epraha
On 23 January 2020, Nazarbayeva's son, Aisultan, made a public statement on his Facebook page, claiming that his grandfather Nazarbayev was allegedly his dad and that his mother Nazarbayeva has been attempting to kill him while living in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. Nazarbayeva made no responses regarding the case made by her son. The next day on 24 January, a female correspondent from the
RFE/RL
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is a United States government funded organization that broadcasts and reports news, information, and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Caucasus, and the Middle East where it says tha ...
attempted to receive response from Nazarbayeva regarding her son's claims as she was walking by in the Parliament building hallway where one of Nazarbayeva's security guards ended up grabbing the reporter by the arm and covering her mouth. On 16 August 2020, Aisultan was found dead in London with the cause of his death being allegedly due to
cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and possib ...
. In response to the incident, Nazarbayeva stated that "my family is devastated at the loss of our beloved Aisultan and we ask for privacy at this very difficult time."
Offshore activities
In 2018, it was revealed by the
Panama Papers
The Panama Papers ( es, Papeles de Panamá) are 11.5 million leaked documents (or 2.6 terabytes of data) that were published beginning on April 3, 2016. The papers detail financial and attorney–client information for more than 214,488 ...
that Nazarbayeva was the sole shareholder of an off-shore sugar company based in the
British Virgin Islands
)
, anthem = "God Save the King"
, song_type = Territorial song
, song = "Oh, Beautiful Virgin Islands"
, image_map = File:British Virgin Islands on the globe (Americas centered).svg
, map_caption =
, mapsize = 290px
, image_map2 = Brit ...
which did business in Kazakhstan. Her son, Nurali, was also named in the papers as being a client of
Mossack Fonseca
Mossack Fonseca & Co. () was a Panamanian law firm and Corporate services, corporate service provider. According to ''
Newsweek
''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...
'', "this is a sharp contradiction from Nazarbayev’s frequent appeals to entrepreneurs in the oil-rich country to pay taxes in Kazakhstan." The Panama Papers also suggest she may be the owner, through an off-shore company, of
221B Baker Street
221B Baker Street is the London address of the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, created by author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In the United Kingdom, postal addresses with a number followed by a letter may indicate a separate address within ...
, the $183 million property famous as being the fictional address of
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...
.
On 10 March 2020, a British court announced the names of the owners of properties worth $100 million, which were issued an UWO in the spring of 2019. The owners turned out to be Nazarbayeva and her eldest son, Nurali Aliyev, with his wife Aida. The representative of the defendants at the hearing explained that the owners can confirm the source of the funds, since at that time they were engaged in business. In April, the
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice in London, known properly as His Majesty's High Court of Justice in England, together with the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, are the Courts of England and Wales, Senior Cou ...
declared the claims by the British law enforcement agencies unfounded and as a result, the case was overturned.
Wealth
According to ''
Forbes Magazine
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also repo ...
'' in 2013 her wealth was about $595 million. It was through her involvement in the companies such as Europe Plus Kazakhstan JSC, NTK, AlmaInvestHolding, Almatystroysnab LLP, and ALMA TV. She also founded Kazakhstan's main TV network,
Khabar Agency
The Khabar Agency (KA) ( kk, "Хабар" Агенттігі, translit="Xabar" Agenttıgı; russian: Агентство «Хабар») is a major media outlet in Kazakhstan. It was established in 1995, known originally as the National Television ...