Serik Akhmetov to become new Kazakh PM

Former Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Serik Akhmetov will become the new Prime Minister of the country, presidential advisor Yermukhamet Yertysbaev said in an interview with Trend.

“The issue over him has been resolved and in an hour or two his candidacy will be put forward to the Majlis, and I think the faction of the Nur Otan Party will support his candidacy. I think two other political parties will also support him, as Serik Akhmetov has great experience. He was transport minister, headed the Karaganda region and was trained carefully for this position,”Yertysbaev said.

According to Yertysbaev, Serik Akhmetov’s main task as the new prime minister will be an industrial and innovative programme.

Earlier, Prime Minister Karim Masimov resigned and was accepted by the president.
Yertysbaev also said that the president held a meeting with employees of the Ak Orda, during which he praised Karim Masimov’s work as prime minister.

“The government when led by Masimov worked well. I strongly disagree with conclusions and statements of other experts that there was no innovation component in the activities of the government led by Karim Masimov,” Yertysbaev said.

Yertysbaev reminded those present that the Masimov government had faced the global financial crisis and was able to overcome it.

“This has been recognised also by the World Bank and other financial institutions,” Yertysbaev said.

He believes that leaving the prime minister post was Masimov’s personal desire to change post.

“He wrote the resignation letter himself. There was a great workload in his seven years of office and his resignation and new appointment was associated with it,” Yertysbaev said.

In various years, Serik Akhmetov served as Deputy Governor of Astana, head of State Inspection Department of Organisational and Control Work and Personnel Policy of Kazakh Presidential Administration, as Chairman of the Board of the Atameken National Union of Entrepreneurs and Employers of Kazakhstan. In November 2009, he became the Akim (Governor) of Karaganda region.

From January 2012, he served as First Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan.