Zharmakhan Tuyakbay
Zharmakhan Aytbayuli Tuyakbay (Kazakh: Жармахан Айтбайұлы Тұяқбай, Jarmahan Aıtbaıuly Tuıaqbaı; born on 22 November 1947) is a retired Kazakh politician. He was the chairman of the Nationwide Social Democratic Party and For a Just Kazakhstan political movement. Prior to that, he served as the chair of the Mazhilis from 1999 to 2004. Tuyakbay was an opposition candidate in the 2005 Kazakh presidential election, losing the race President Nursultan Nazarbayev to which he refused to concede. Some analysts considered Tuyakbay the most significant challenger to Nazarbayev in the election.
Zharmakhan Tuyakbay | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 2nd Chairman of Mazhilis | |
| In office 1 December 1999 – 14 October 2004 | |
| Deputy | Muhambet Kopeev |
| Preceded by | Marat Ospanov |
| Succeeded by | Oral Muhamedjanov |
| Member of the Mazhilis | |
| In office 10 October 1999 – 14 October 2004 | |
| Prosecutor General of Kazakhstan | |
| In office 7 December 1990 – 6 October 1995 | |
| President | Nursultan Nazarbayev |
| Succeeded by | Maksut Narikbaev |
| Chairman of Nationwide Social Democratic Party | |
| In office 10 September 2006 – 26 April 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Ermurat Bapi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Zharmakhan Aytbayuli Tuyakbay 22 November 1947 Kyzylkiya, Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union (present-day Republic of Kazakhstan) |
| Nationality | Kazakh |
Early life and career
Tuyakbay was born in town of Novostroyka (present-day Kyzylkia) in Shymkent, Kazakh SSR. In 1971, having graduated from the Law School of the Kazakh State University, Zharmakhan Tuyakbay was recruited by the Investigatory Department of the Shymkent Oblast Prosecutor Office.
In 1981, Tuyakbay was appointed Deputy General Prosecutor of Kazakhstan. In December 1986, the Government of The Soviet Union severely crushed protests in Almaty in response to the appointing of the new First Secretary of the Kazakh Communist Party, who was Russian. This riot, which subsequently was named Jeltoqsan lead to numerous resignations and shifts among top Kazakh officials. Tuyakbay was removed from his office and appointed Prosecutor of Mangghystau Province, and later Atyrau Province.
In 1990, one year before the collapse of The Soviet Union and proclamation of declaration of independence of Kazakhstan, Tuyakbay was appointed General Prosecutor of Kazakhstan. In 1995, he was appointed Chairman of the State Investigatory Committee, and held the office until 1997. Upon his resignation, Tuyakbay became Chief Military Prosecutor of Kazakhstan.
Political career
Chair of the Mazhilis (1999–2004)
In 1999, Tuyakbay ran for a seat in the Mazhilis (Lower House) of Parliament of Kazakhstan, and won the election at Sary-Agash region of the South Kazakhstan Province. On 1 December 1999, Tuyakbay was elected as a Chairman of Mazhilis for a five-year term.[1] Several months before the 2004 legislative election, which were held on 19 September 2004, he became Vice-chairman of the pro-government Otan (Fatherland) party, and was the first on the election party list. However, on 14 October 2004, Tuyakbay publicly condemned violations during the elections and renounced his mandate as member of the Mazhilis.
2005 Kazakh presidential election
On November 2004, he became Chairman of the Coordinating Council of Democratic Forces of Kazakhstan, which included the Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan party (QDT), the Naghyz Ak Zhol party and the Communist Party of Kazakhstan, and led a working group for to elaborate the draft of the new Constitution of Kazakhstan.
On 20 March 2005, the political movement For a Just Kazakhstan was formed, and Tuyakbay became Chairman of the organization. On 10 September 2005, he was nominated as a single candidate from the democratic forces of Kazakhstan to become the main challenger to the current president, Nursultan Nazarbayev. On October 5, 2005, he was registered as a presidential candidate by the Central Elections Committee of Kazakhstan.
In the presidential election on 4 December 2005, Tuyakbay, with slightly more than 6 per cent, came second after Nursultan Nazarbayev, who won more than 90 per cent of the vote. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) concluded that the election did not meet international standards, despite some improvements in the administration of the election.
Chairman of the JUSDP (2006–2019)
On 19 July 2006, Tuyakbay announced about establishing the Nationwide Social Democratic Party (JUSDP), and on January 2007 it was officially registered. In 2015 the party became a full member of the Socialist International[2]
During the 2007 Mazhilis elections the party won 4.62 percent of the popular vote and no seats. All seats were won by the ruling Nur-Otan party. On 26 April 2019, during the JUSDP Congress, Zharmakhan Tuyakbay announced about his resignation as the chairman of the party.[3]
Personal life
Zharmakhan Tuyakbay is married, has three children and nine grandchildren.