Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on August 24 appointed his long-time adviser Erlan Karin as vice president, according to the presidential office. The position was established under the new constitution adopted earlier this year.
With this decision, Karin, who has served as a senior aide to Tokayev since he became president in 2019, becomes first in the line of succession for the leadership of this Central Asian nation.
Local media quoted Tokayev as describing Karin as an experienced public servant with deep knowledge of state governance. "He has worked in the public administration system for many years. It can be said that he is a person with broad vision, rich experience, and a true patriot," Tokayev said.
Karin, 50, has a background in "counter-terrorism" and is seen as a key figure in promoting the "New Kazakhstan" ideology championed by Tokayev.
The same day, Tokayev also proposed the reappointment of Olzhas Bektenov as prime minister, a position he has held since 2024. Both proposals were quickly approved by parliament, where the pro-Tokayev Adilet party holds a majority.
Tokayev, 73, is eligible to run for another seven-year term under the new constitution, according to a ruling by Kazakhstan's Supreme Court. His current term ends in 2029. The constitution limits presidents to a single term.
Tokayev, a former Soviet diplomat and senior United Nations official, came to power as the designated successor of Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan's first president, who ruled from 1991 to 2019.
Tokayev broke with his predecessor—under whom he served as prime minister and foreign minister—in 2022 after nationwide unrest that killed hundreds and which he called a coup attempt by figures from the Nazarbayev era.
Kazakhstan is a major exporter of energy and minerals, including uranium for nuclear power, and maintains friendly relations with Russia, the West, and China.
