Dariga Nazarbayeva elected Kazakh senate chair

MOSCOW - The Kazakh Senate on Wednesday elected Dariga Nazarbayeva, former head of its committee on foreign relations, defense and security, as the speaker of the parliament's upper house, Russian media reported.

A senate session was held and all the 44 senators present voted in Nazarbayeva's favor, according to Tass news agency.

"I realize very well the role the parliament plays in the country's political and social life, particularly as we are at a turning point of our history... Our development strategy and legislative activities are primarily aimed at improving the people's lives and ensuring the country's prosperity for the sake of its people," she said.

55-year-old Nazarbyeva, the eldest daughter of former Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, is widely expected to make a competitive candidate in Kazakhstan's presidential election in 2020.

Nazarbayev, who had served as Kazakhstan's president since the country's independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, announced his resignation on Tuesday.

Earlier on Wednesday, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev took office as Kazakhstan's interim president.