Kazakh President Considers a Controversial Dismissal

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev is visiting the western province of Mangistau to discuss rebuilding efforts after three days of unrest in the region. Nazarbayev has set aside funds to help repair damage from the protests and riots and made numerous governmental purges. One of the officials he has considered dismissing is his son-in-law Timur Kulibayev, often considered the country's second most powerful man. Kulibayev's dismissal would create a political crisis, given his connections to powerful Kazakh political factions and Russia. Nazarbayev could simply be warning Kulibayev to improve his performance.