Old new government

Will prepare for the “democratization” of Kazakhstan

Yesterday, the Kazakh parliament approved Danial Akhmetov as the country's prime minister, agreeing with the proposal of President Nursultan Nazarbayev. Danial Akhmetov, 52, led Kazakhstan's previous government, which resigned as Mr. Nazarbayev took office on Jan. 11 for another seven-year presidential term. All key ministers also retained their posts. Kasymzhomart Tokayev remained the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense - Mukhtar Altynbaev, the Ministry of Internal Affairs - Baurzhan Mukhmedzhanov.

There were some surprises too. The head of state suggested that deputies, when forming a government, reduce the number of deputy prime minister positions from two to one. It will be occupied by presidential adviser, 40-year-old Doctor of Economic Sciences Karim Masimov. The President argued this by the need to “increase the independence and responsibility of ministries and departments” and eliminate duplication in their work. According to Nazarbayev, “the institution of the deputy prime minister is precisely the duplicating body.”

According to Vremya Novostey's informed sources in the Kazakh government, Masimov's return there (before his appointment as assistant to the president, he was also deputy prime minister) is quite logical. Here it is worth taking into account Nazarbayev’s ambitious plans to bring Kazakhstan into the top 50 most developed economies in the world in a few years. It was Masimov who was one of the authors of the program for industrial and innovative development of the republic until 2015. Under his leadership, the so-called “development institutions” of Kazakhstan were created, which accumulated about two billion dollars from the national stabilization fund. This allowed the state to assume 50% of the risks of all foreign investments made in the country.

Among the newcomers to the government, attention is drawn to the presidential adviser on political issues, Ermukhamet Ertysbaev (see interview with him in VN, November 10, 2005) . He received the post of Minister of Culture, Information and Sports. Mr. Yertysbayev's appointment can be considered a reward for his exceptionally intensive contribution to Nazarbayev's presidential election campaign...

Nevertheless, experts in Kazakhstan consider the current composition of the government to be transitional and believe that it will last no more than a year. The upcoming reform of the cabinet will be connected with Nazarbayev’s promises to carry out, as his circle says, large-scale political reforms to democratize the country. The president himself spoke about this on the eve of the 2005 presidential elections. Addressing, among other things, the leaders of the Kazakh opposition, he made it clear that if they behave “correctly,” they will also have a place in the structures of the future government. It is possible that this is precisely what explains the sensational decision to withdraw from active political activity, announced two days ago by the leader of the now banned Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan, Galymzhan Zhakiyanov, who returned home after almost five years in prison.

Arkady DUBNOV