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In a surprising turn of events during a 1994 Supreme Council session, a key political appointment faced unexpected opposition, highlighting the complex dynamics of Kazakhstan's early post-independence governance.

The nomination of Altynbek Sarsenbayuly as Deputy Prime Minister, proposed as part of the government led by Prime Minister Akezhan Kazhegeldin, was met with strong resistance from a member of parliament.

Parliamentary Opposition

During the discussion of Sarsenbayuly's candidacy, Supreme Council deputy Altinshash Zhaganova voiced her dissent, directly challenging President Nursultan Nazarbayev's choice. Zhaganova stated, "I want to say only one thing. Nursultan Abishevich supported your candidacy and still does. This time, he made a mistake."

Sarsenbayuly, in response to the criticism, offered a forward-looking perspective on freedom of speech, remarking, "In the future, a law on the press may not be needed; the Constitution itself, which guarantees freedom of speech, will be sufficient." This statement reflected the evolving discourse on civil liberties in the country at the time.

Reasons Behind the Objection

Ultimately, Sarsenbayuly's nomination was not approved, with 58 deputies voting in favor and 61 against, following a proposal by Abish Kekilbaev. Altinshash Zhaganova later explained her reasoning, recounting a conversation with President Nazarbayev.

"The President was very offended. He said, 'Alteke, what is this, he is a good guy.' I said, 'He is not good, Nureke! You will see.' And so it happened. Before we became deputies, I served for a year as a deputy of the Almaty City Council. Then, after a year as a deputy of the Supreme Council, I resigned from my work there. At that time, he (Altynbek Sarsenbayuly) was also a deputy in the city. He was dismissive of people and strongly rebuffed those who spoke up. His conduct was like that. His principles were different. I just didn't like him," Zhaganova explained.

Sarsenbayuly's Later Reflection

Years later, Altynbek Sarsenbayuly reflected on the incident with a sense of gratitude. He stated, "I am still grateful and thankful that I was not approved. During the time the Vice-Premier who replaced me was in office, the entire social sector was ruined. Schools were closed, hospitals shut down, libraries disappeared. I was younger then. I cannot say that I would have steadfastly opposed all those misguided decisions. If I had been Vice-Premier at that time, the blame for the destruction would still be on my conscience. God saved me then. I still feel like thanking that elder sister (Zhaganova) when I see her."

This account was featured in the 12th episode of Asylkhan Mamashuly's documentary film "Kily Kezen" (Difficult Period).

This story was reported by Infohub.kz.