President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan announced his resignation on Tuesday, March 19.

"I have made a decision to terminate my powers as president,” said Nazarbayev, addressing the people of Kazakhstan, Echo of Moscow reports.

Senate Chairman Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was appointed the acting head of the country.

Nazarbayev was named First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Kazakh SSR in 1989, and was elected as the nation's first president following its independence from the Soviet Union.