NURSULTAN, Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan will go to early presidential elections this June, the country’s acting president announced on Tuesday.

“I have decided to hold presidential elections on June 9,” Kassym-Jomart Tokayev told a televised address to the nation.

Tokayev said the decision to hold free and fair early elections is "important and necessary."

“In order to ensure social and political agreement, to confidently move forward, to solve the tasks of socioeconomic development, it is necessary to remove any uncertainty,” he added.

Confirming the continuity and stability of the country’s domestic and foreign policy in a rapidly changing world is also crucial, he said.

Tokayev said Kazakhstan had gained a worthy place in the international community thanks to former longtime leader Nursultan Nazarbayev.

On Feb. 19, Nazarbayev, 78, unexpectedly announced his resignation as president. His five-year term was due to end in 2020.

Tokayev, the country's Senate head, took the reins as acting president.

* Writing by Gozde Bayar