Deputies of the Kurultai (Kazakhstan's parliament) gave their consent on August 31 to the appointment of Yerlan Karin as Vice President and Olzhas Bektenov as Prime Minister. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who had submitted both candidacies, then signed the corresponding decrees, Aqorda reports.
The post of Vice President was created after Kazakhstan adopted a new Constitution in a referendum on March 15, 2026. Under the Basic Law, the Vice President is appointed by the head of state with the Kurultai's consent. The role includes representing the president in dealings with parliament, the government, and other state bodies, as well as carrying out presidential assignments. Should the president's powers be terminated early, the Vice President is first in line to assume them.
ℹ️ Yerlan Karin was born on May 26, 1976, in the village of Aksu, Sairam district, Turkestan region. In 1996, he graduated from Aktobe University, named after K. Zhubanov, with a degree in history and geography, earning a teaching qualification. In 1999, he completed postgraduate studies at the Faculty of Philosophy and Political Science at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University and holds a Candidate of Political Sciences degree.
He worked as a teacher, headed the Central Asian Agency for Political Research, and served as an adviser to the prime minister. Over the years, he held positions with the Asar party and the Presidential Administration, served as secretary for strategic development at Nur Otan, directed the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President (KISI), and headed RTRK Kazakhstan.
From 2019 to 2022, he served as adviser and assistant to the president. He was State Secretary from January 5, 2022, and later State Counselor of Kazakhstan. From June 30, 2026, he held the post of First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration.
ℹ️ Olzhas Bektenov was born on December 13, 1980, in Almaty. He graduated with honors from the Kazakh State Law Academy in 2001 with a degree in law. He worked in the Prime Minister's Office, the Presidential Administration, the Ministry of Justice, and the financial police. He headed the apparatus of the akim (mayor) of Astana, led Astana's anti-corruption department, and served as deputy akim of Akmola region. From July 2018 to April 2023, he worked within the Anti-Corruption Service before heading the Presidential Administration. He was appointed Prime Minister of Kazakhstan on February 6, 2024.
