Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev appointed Erlan Karin, a long-time adviser, as vice president. The newly created office positions Karin as first in line to succeed Tokayev, who is eligible to run for another seven-year term under the new constitution.
The appointment of a vice president and the potential for Tokayev to serve another term signal a consolidation of power and a clear succession plan for Kazakhstan, a major energy and minerals producer that maintains strategic relationships with Russia, China, and the West.
Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has appointed Erlan Karin, a close adviser, to the newly created office of vice president. This move positions Karin as the first in line to succeed Tokayev, who is eligible to seek another seven-year term under the constitution adopted earlier this year. Karin, 50, has served as a top adviser to Tokayev since 2019 and has a background in counter-terrorism. He is seen as a key figure in promoting Tokayev's ideology of "New Kazakhstan."
Tokayev also proposed the reappointment of Olzhas Bektenov as prime minister, a position he has held since 2024. Both appointments received swift approval from the parliament, which is dominated by the pro-Tokayev Adilet party. Tokayev, 73, took office in 2019 as the successor to Nursultan Nazarbayev, who ruled from 1991 to 2019. Tokayev later broke with Nazarbayev following nationwide unrest in 2022.