ASTANA (TCA) — Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev on September 13 made a Kazakh cabinet reshuffle after he replaced the prime minister late last week.
The presidential press service said that Defense Minister Imangali Tasmagambetov was appointed as deputy prime minister.
Deputy Defense Minister Saken Zhasuzakov was promoted to the post of defense minister.
Justice Minister Berik Imashev was appointed the head of the Central Election Commission. Imashev was replaced by Marat Beketaev, the deputy chief of the president’s office.
The majority of cabinet ministers have retained their posts.
On September 8, Nazarbayev appointed Prime Minister Karim Masimov the chairman of the National Security Committee.
On September 9, Deputy Prime Minister Bakytzhan Sagintayev was appointed the new prime minister.
Also on September 13, Nazarbayev’s daughter, Dariga Nazarbayeva, who was deputy prime minister in the previous cabinet, was appointed a member of the parliament’s upper house, the Senate.
Some analysts consider Dariga Nazarbayeva as a potential successor to her father, and predict she would some day be promoted to the post of prime minister.
President Nazarbayev also signed a decree establishing the Ministry for Religious and Civil Society Affairs of Kazakhstan, the presidential press service said on September 13.
The new ministry will be in charge for interaction with religious associations, ensuring the rights of citizens to the freedom of religion, as well as interaction between the state and civil society.
