World News
Kazakh President Tokayev appoints longtime adviser Erlan Karin as vice president
The newly created role places Karin first in line to succeed Tokayev under the country's new constitution.
The short version
- Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has appointed his longtime adviser, Erlan Karin, to the newly established post of vice president.
- The appointment, which was quickly approved by the country's parliament, puts Karin first in line to succeed the president.
- Tokayev also proposed the reappointment of Olzhas Bektenov as prime minister, a position Bektenov has held since 2024.
Key facts
- President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev appointed his longtime adviser, Erlan Karin, to the new role of vice president under a constitution adopted earlier in the year.[Al Jazeera]
- The new vice-presidential position makes Karin first in line to succeed Tokayev as leader of Kazakhstan.[Al Jazeera]
- Karin, 50, has a background in counter-terrorism and has served as a top aide to Tokayev since Tokayev assumed the presidency in 2019.[Al Jazeera]
- The pro-Tokayev Adilet party, which dominates the Kazakh parliament, swiftly approved both Karin's appointment and Tokayev's proposal to reappoint Olzhas Bektenov as prime minister.[Al Jazeera]
- Tokayev's current presidential term ends in 2029, but Kazakhstan's supreme court has stated that he is eligible to run for another seven-year term under the new constitution.[Al Jazeera]