The Government is heading for a personnel update. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev confirmed after voting in the Kurultai election that the Cabinet will relinquish its powers and that there will be changes in its composition. At the same time, the Head of State stressed that the decision does not reflect dissatisfaction with the Government’s performance, DKNews.kz reports.
The President made the statement on August 23 during a media briefing after voting in Kazakhstan’s first election of Kurultai deputies. His remarks were also published by the country’s official government communications platform.
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The Government will relinquish its powers before the new Kurultai
One of the strongest statements at the briefing came in response to a question about the future of the Cabinet.
“Therefore, of course, the Government must resign. There will be some changes in the composition of the Government,” Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.
However, the Government stepping down is not solely a personnel decision by the President. The procedure is built into Kazakhstan’s new constitutional framework.
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Under Article 69 of the new Constitution, the Government relinquishes its powers before the newly elected Kurultai.
This means that the Cabinet relinquishing its powers after the election does not automatically amount to a negative assessment of its work. The key political point in Tokayev’s statement is different: the new Government will indeed see personnel changes.
Tokayev: there is no reason to be dissatisfied with the Government
The President gave a broadly positive assessment of the current Cabinet.
According to Tokayev, the Government has been working hard and promptly while carrying out the tasks assigned to it.
“Overall, there are no grounds to be concerned about the work of the Government, let alone to be dissatisfied with it. Both the ministers and the head of the Government are making every effort,” Tokayev said.
That distinction is essential to understanding the upcoming reshuffle. The President did not present the personnel changes as punishment for poor performance.
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Instead, he linked the renewal of the team to the need to give fresh momentum to the work of the executive branch.
“I have always opposed dismissals for the sake of dismissals”
Tokayev also outlined his approach to personnel decisions.
“The point is not to dismiss someone. I have always opposed dismissals for the sake of dismissals, or dismissals simply to fill media content, as they say nowadays,” the President said.
According to him, personnel changes must serve a practical purpose.
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“Personnel changes are always inevitable because they give the Government new strength,” the Head of State noted.
The exact shape of the future Cabinet remains unknown. Tokayev did not name the ministers who could be affected by the reshuffle or indicate how extensive the changes may be.
But the general principle is clear: part of the Government will change, while the President is not expressing broad dissatisfaction with the current Cabinet’s performance.
The new Kurultai will have a role in appointing the Prime Minister
The procedure for forming the executive branch will also change after the election.
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Under the new Constitution, the President, after consultations with the factions of political parties represented in the Kurultai, submits a candidate for Prime Minister to the deputies. The appointment requires the consent of a majority of the total number of Kurultai members.
Once appointed, the Prime Minister must submit proposals on the structure and composition of the Government to the President within ten days.
This means that Kazakhstan’s first Kurultai election launches more than a new parliamentary cycle. It is followed by the formation of the Cabinet under the country’s updated constitutional architecture.
Tokayev linked personnel changes to modernization
Explaining the need for renewal, Tokayev focused on global economic competition and Kazakhstan’s modernization agenda.
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“The competitive environment around the world is becoming more intense. The market creates its own challenges, which must be taken into account and, most importantly, answered appropriately,” the President said.
He stressed that modernization must be continuous and that the Government plays a major role in that process.
“Modernization is a very complex process that needs a new and powerful impetus. The Government plays a very important role in this process,” Tokayev said.
The statement leaves two immediate political questions: who will remain in the new Cabinet, and which positions will be affected by the changes announced by the President.
For now, Tokayev has outlined only the basic principle of the upcoming transition: the Government will relinquish its powers in accordance with the Constitution, some ministers may be replaced, but the President does not view the process as a sign of dissatisfaction with the Cabinet as a whole.
