Editing Nursultan Nazarbayev (section)

=== 2011–2015: Fourth term ===
[[File:Zhas Otan 2 Congress-2.JPG|thumb|236x236px|Nazarbayev holding a speech in 2012]]
In April 2011, [[2011 Kazakh presidential election|Nazarbayev ran for a fourth term]], winning 95.5% of the vote during the first round with virtually no opposition candidates. Following his victory, he announced the need in finding an "optimal way of empowering parliament, increasing the government's responsibility and improving the electoral process."<ref>{{Cite news|date=8 April 2011|title=Kazakhstan President Nazarbayev sworn in for new term|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-13013592|access-date=29 January 2021}}</ref>

On 11 June 2011, Daniel Witt, Vice Chairman of the Eurasia Foundation, acknowledged the role of Nazarbayev and his political reforms:<blockquote>"[President] Nazarbayev has led Kazakhstan through difficult times and into an era of prosperity and growth. He has demonstrated that he values his U.S. and Western alliances and is committed to achieving democratic governance."<ref>{{cite web|title=Kazakhstan's Presidential Election Shows Progress|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-witt/kazakhstans-presidential-_b_847612.html|work=HuffPost|date=11 June 2011|author=Witt, Daniel|access-date=16 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113164659/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-witt/kazakhstans-presidential-_b_847612.html|archive-date=13 November 2012|url-status=live}}</ref></blockquote>In December 2011, [[2011 Mangystau riots|opponents of Nazarbayev rioted in Mangystau]], described by the [[BBC]] as the biggest opposition movement of his time in power.<ref name="Abuse">{{cite news|date=15 May 2012|title=Abuse claims swamp Kazakh oil riot trial|work=BBC|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18055249|url-status=live|access-date=16 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120517120810/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18055249|archive-date=17 May 2012}}</ref> On 16 December 2011, demonstrations in the oil town of [[Zhanaozen]] clashed with police on the country's Independence Day.<ref>{{cite news|date=15 December 2016|title=Kazakhstan: Zhanaozen Oil Workers Did Not Take Up Arms|work=KazWorld.info|url=http://kazworld.info/?p=59632|url-status=usurped|access-date=15 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171109191602/http://kazworld.info/?p=59632|archive-date=9 November 2017}}</ref> Fifteen people were shot dead by security forces<ref>{{Cite news|title=The Stable State of Nursultan Nazarbayev's Kazakhstanl|language=en|work=Forbes|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2017/02/17/the-stable-state-of-nursultan-nazarbayevs-kazakhstan/#33eb86a463b9|url-status=live|access-date=31 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107033146/https://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2017/02/17/the-stable-state-of-nursultan-nazarbayevs-kazakhstan/#33eb86a463b9|archive-date=7 November 2017}}</ref> and almost 100 people were injured. Protests quickly spread to other cities but then died down. The subsequent trial of demonstrators uncovered mass abuse and [[torture]] of detainees.<ref name="Abuse"/> 
[[File:CSTO Collective Security Council meeting Kremlin, Moscow 2012-12-19 05.jpeg|thumb|Nazarbayev at the 2012 [[CSTO]] meeting in Moscow, Russia]]
[[File:Painting of Nursultan Nazarbayev (15128133391).jpg|left|thumb|229x229px|Painting of Elbasy Nursultan Nazarbayev in 2014]]
On 24 September 2012, Nazarbayev appointed [[Serik Akhmetov]] as the PM, a close-ally of Nazarbayev who served as First Deputy PM under [[First Massimov Cabinet|Massimov's cabinet]] and the [[List of Äkims of Karaganda Region|Äkim of Karaganda Region]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Petersen|first=Alexandros|date=25 September 2012|title=Kazakhstan Cabinet Reshuffle Promotes Massimov|url=https://jamestown.org/program/kazakhstan-cabinet-reshuffle-promotes-massimov/|access-date=8 June 2021|website=Jamestown|publisher=Eurasia Daily Monitor|language=en-US}}</ref> Massimov in turn, became the new head of the [[Presidential Administration of Kazakhstan|Presidential Administration]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Petersen|first=Freya|date=24 September 2012|title=Karim Masimov quits as prime minister of oil-rich Kazakhstan|url=https://www.pri.org/stories/2012-09-24/karim-masimov-quits-prime-minister-oil-rich-kazakhstan|access-date=8 June 2021|website=The World from PRX|language=en}}</ref>

In December 2012, Nazarbayev outlined a forward-looking national strategy called the [[Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2024/10/kais-saieds-grip-on-tunisia-comes-at-a-high-cost?lang=en|title=Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy Leads to Government Restructuring|last=Keene|first=Eli|work=Carnegie Endowment for International Peace|access-date=31 October 2017|language=en|date=21 February 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171110201305/http://carnegieendowment.org/2013/02/21/kazakhstan-2050-strategy-leads-to-government-restructuring-pub-51010|archive-date=10 November 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2014, Nazarbayev proposed that Kazakhstan should change its name to "Kazakh Eli" ("Country of the Kazakhs"), for the country to attract better and more foreign investment, since "Kazakhstan" by its name is associated with other "[[-stan]]" countries. Nazarbayev suggested [[Mongolia]] receives more investment than Kazakhstan because it is not a "-stan" country, even though it is in the same neighborhood, and not as stable as Kazakhstan. However, he noted that decision should be decided by the people on whether the country should change its name.{{clarify|date=September 2018}}<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/02/07/yes-kazakhstan-should-change-its-name-this-map-shows-why/|newspaper=The Washington Post|title=WorldViews|access-date=7 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150705123146/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/02/07/yes-kazakhstan-should-change-its-name-this-map-shows-why/|archive-date=5 July 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-26082740|title=Kazakhstan: President suggests renaming the country|work=BBC|date=7 February 2014|access-date=21 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140710004226/http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-26082740|archive-date=10 July 2014|url-status=live }}</ref>

After Kazakhstan faced an economic downturn of which was caused by [[2010s oil glut|low oil prices]] and devaluation of the tenge, Nazarbayev on 2 April 2014 dismissed PM [[Serik Akhmetov]] and reappointed [[Karim Massimov]] to the post.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2 April 2014|title=Kazakhstan prime minister Akhmetov resigns|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kazakhstan-government-idUSBREA310Y220140402|access-date=8 June 2021}}</ref> Akhmetov subsequently was appointed as a Defence Minister while [[Second Massimov Cabinet|Massimov's government]] was aimed at dealing with the economic crisis.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Voloshin|first=George|date=9 April 2014|title=Kazakhstan's New Prime Minister to Fix Economic Problems|url=https://jamestown.org/program/kazakhstans-new-prime-minister-to-fix-economic-problems/|access-date=8 June 2021|website=Jamestown|publisher=Eurasia Daily Monitor|language=en-US}}</ref>