Kazakhstan reshuffles its political leadership: Bektenov stays while Karin moves up

Kazakhstan's political summer did not bring its usual lull. A new Constitution took effect on July 1, and on Aug. 23 voters elected a single-chamber parliament, the Kurultai, replacing the Mazhilis and Senate.

After lawmakers took their oaths, the country's new political structure began to take shape. Olzhas Bektenov returned as prime minister, Yerlan Karin became vice president, and lawmakers chose Aibek Dadebay, chairman of the majority Adilet party, as speaker of the Kurultai.

Karin had previously served as first deputy head of the presidential administration. His nomination received 141 votes out of 145. Bektenov, 45, was born in Almaty to a military family but chose law rather than a military career. He studied at the Kazakh State Law Academy, now the M.S. Narikbayev Kazakh Humanities and Law University, and later worked in Almaty's justice administration, the prime minister's legal office and the administration of former President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

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He is a statesman, a qualified specialist and a true professional. He approaches his work with a high sense of responsibility. He previously worked productively at the head of government.

His career also included Kazakhstan's Justice Ministry from 2009 to 2012 and leadership of the Anti-Corruption Agency from 2022 to 2023. Bektenov first became prime minister on Feb. 6, 2024, after the ruling Amanat party proposed him. Amanat later became part of the new Adilet party.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev described Bektenov as a capable state-minded professional who had worked productively as head of government. Amirzhan Kosanov, a former opposition politician who is now a political analyst and columnist, told Deutsche Welle that the reappointment was predictable. He said Tokayev had already set the main direction of economic policy, which Bektenov had implemented and would continue to implement, while the country had few alternative economic policymakers with new and significant ideas.

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First, the president himself outlined the main directions of economic policy, which will continue. Olzhas Bektenov was and remains its implementer. Second, the bench of alternatives in the economic sphere is too short. There are no new, significant ideas or people to carry them.