Kazakhstan renames capital, extends presidential term

MOSCOW (AP) — The president of Kazakhstan has signed constitutional amendments that extend the presidential term to seven years and bring back the old name of the country’s capital. The changes are among political and economic reforms that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for after violent protests rocked the country in January, killing more than 200 people. The unrest reflected widespread dismay with the country’s politics, which for over 30 years had been dominated by former President Nursultan Nazarbayev and his party. The amendments signed Saturday extend the presidential term to seven years from the current five, but also bar any president from running for a second term. The changes also rename the country’s capital, Nur-Sultan, back to Astana.