Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev has appointed Olzhas Bektenov, the former head of his administration and an anti-corruption watchdog, as the Kazakhstan's new prime minister just a day after dismissing the government.
Appointment
Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev has appointed Olzhas Bektenov, the former head of his administration and an anti-corruption watchdog, as the Kazakhstan's new prime minister just a day after dismissing the government. Bektenov, who previously served as Toqaev's chief of staff and led the Anti-Corruption Agency, succeeds Alikhan Smaiylov. His appointment comes in the wake of Smaiylov's tenure, which spanned over two years amidst the country's most tumultuous independence-era unrest, resulting in at least 238 fatalities. Smailov was named prime minister in the wake of violent protests in January 2022 that left 225 people dead.
Kazakhstan, a Central Asian country and former Soviet republic, extends from the Caspian Sea in the west to the Altai Mountains at its eastern border with China and Russia.
Capital- Astana; Currency- Kazakhstani Tenge
Official languages- Russian, Kazakh
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