NUR-SULTAN, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- First President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev on Tuesday delivered his first address to the people after riots in the country, expressing support for current Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
"It is a fact that organized extremist groups have sparked widespread rioting in the country and carried out terrorist attacks," Nazarbayev said in his address, according to the official website of the first president.
"Stability and peace in the country have always been my first priority. We all must cherish these enduring values. We will definitely get through the crisis and will become even stronger," he added.
Nazarbayev stressed that current President Tokayev "has full power" and there is no conflict among the country's elite.
"I am once more informing you that in 2019, I delegated presidential powers to Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and since then I have been a pensioner on a deserved rest, staying in the capital of Kazakhstan and not going anywhere," he said.
"The president has put forward a new reform program aimed at improving the welfare of the people. This program needs to be supported," he added.
Violent protests sparked by fuel price hikes have erupted in the country at the beginning of this year, and escalated into mass riots in several cities a few days later, leading to multiple deaths and many injuries. ■