Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev accepted the resignation of his government on Monday, according to a signed decree pubished by his office on Monday. The Central Asian country is a key regional ally of Russia.
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.”
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.
Presidential spokesman Berik Uali brought up the upcoming event, when describing outlining the procedure for appointing a new prime minister to the press. 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.