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PoliticsKazakhstan

Kazakh government quits amid attempt to pass reforms

February 5, 2024

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has accepted the cabinet's resignation. He has recently been calling for reforms to attract foreign investment.

https://p.dw.com/p/4c3DA
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at his inauguration in Astana in November 2022
President Tokayev has accepted the resignation of the governmentImage: Kazakh Presidential press office/SNA/IMAGO

The government of Kazakhstan under Prime Minister Alichan Smailov resigned on Monday, the president's office announced.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev accepted the decision and named Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar as Smailov's acting successor.

"The members of the government of Kazakhstan will continue carrying out their functions until the new executive is approved," the statement from the president's office said.

Why did the Kazakh government resign?

The presidential statement did not give a reason, but Tokayev has recently been pushing for sweeping reforms to attract foreign capital into the economy.

Government reshuffles are not uncommon in the Central Asian country where much of the power is in the hands of the president.

Kazakh political scientist Talgat Kaliyev told Spanish news agency EFE that President Tokayev had repeatedly expressed his disappointment with the cabinet.

"The resignation is connected to the future economic development of Kazakhstan," Kaliyev told EFE. "The president criticized the government for its inability to propose an effective economic strategy."

ab/kb (EFE, Reuters)