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Nazarbayev to decide on participation in Kazakhstan's early presidential elections

Nazarbayev, 74, has been the republic’s president since 1991
Kazakhstani President Nursultan Nazarbayev  ITAR-TASS/Mikhail Metzel
Kazakhstani President Nursultan Nazarbayev
© ITAR-TASS/Mikhail Metzel

ASTANA, February 25. /TASS/. Kazakhstani President Nursultan Nazarbayev will make a decision on his participation in presidential elections of 2016 later.

"I would make the decision on my participation in the presidential elections later in line with [Kazakhstani] constitution and existing legislation," Nazarbayev said in his TV address to the nation on Wednesday.

Nazarbayev, 74, has been the republic’s president since 1991. He received 98.7% of votes back in 1991 and was subsequently reelected. His term of office was extended several times by a Constitutional amendment requested by the parliament. The parliament granted him the right to run for the president’s office unlimitedly. In the 2011 early presidential elections 96.31% of Kazakhs voted for Nazarbayev. His term of office expires in 2016.

In June 2010, the parliament issued him the Leader of the Nation title.