President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree Feb. 5 on the dismissal of the government, reported the Akorda press service.
First Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar was named acting Prime Minister of Kazakhstan in the same decree with incumbent ministers tasked with continuing to fulfill their duties until the formation of the new government.
According to the country’s legislation, the party winning the majority in the most recent elections to the lower chamber of the Kazakh Parliament, is required to nominate a candidate for the Prime Minister. It is then the President’s prerogative to submit this nominee to Parliament for further consideration and approval, should he approve of the choice. Therefore, the Amanat party, which won the majority in 2023, is expected to put forth a candidate for the leadership of the Kazakh government.
Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko, in a statement through his X account, highlighted the upcoming extended government session scheduled for Feb. 7.
“While the attention now is on the composition of the new cabinet, the focus over the next few days will be on the Feb. 7 extended government session with the participation of President Tokayev. It is at this session that the President had earlier promised to present a vision of a new economic policy for Kazakhstan to make its economy more resilient, diversified and fair, while also more attractive for foreign investment,” Vassilenko wrote.
In an earlier announcement, the Akorda press service disclosed plans for an expanded government meeting on Wednesday to review the outcomes of 2023 and outline the key objectives for this year.
Since January 2022, Alikhan Smailov has been at the helm of the government. Earlier in the day, the government announced its forecast for economic development in the year, forecasting the GDP growth of 5.3 percent.
By Assem Assaniyaz for the Astana Times; additional reporting by Russia Today.
Astana did not immediately explain the reason for the reshuffle, which some domestic political commentators called a surprise. First Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar was appointed acting head of government, replacing Alihan Smaiylov. Tokayev instructed members of the cabinet to continue in their jobs as acting ministers.
Earlier in the day, the president’s office announced that on Wednesday Tokayev would chair a government meeting to “summarize the social-economic development of the country in 2023 and identify main goals for the upcoming period of time.”
Presidential spokesman Berik Uali brought up the upcoming event, when describing to journalists the procedure for appointing a new prime minister. The ruling Amanat party will choose a nominee for the consideration of the president, who will then submit the candidacy to parliament for approval, should he give his consent.
The Smaiylov government was first installed in January 2022, amid deadly rioting in Kazakhstan. Russia and other nations of the region helped to quell the unrest by sending in a joint mission of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CTSO).
Smaiylov, who also served in the previous cabinet, was widely perceived as a technocrat. He was reappointed prime minister last March, following a general election, with most ministers retaining their positions.
By the Astana Times
