In Kazakhstan, a systematic renewal of management is taking place entailing personnel changes. Thus, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev appointed Erlan Karin as his assistant. Representatives of the so-called presidential youth personnel reserve received new appointments. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan is discussing the possible resignation of the Cabinet of Ministers, as the head of state is disappointed with its work amid pandemic.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev extended the quarantine introduced due to the coronavirus epidemic for another two weeks until August 2. At an extended government meeting, he expressed dissatisfaction with the work of the current Cabinet of Ministers in connection with the epidemiological and economic situation in the country and gave the government two weeks to correct mistakes.
On July 29, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Askar Mamin reported to the head of state that since the introduction of strict quarantine measures on July 5, 2020, the situation has been improving. The number of people infected with coronavirus has stabilized at the level of 1500-1600 per day. The workload of hospitals fell by 43%, including the intensive care wards - by 27%. The number of those who recovered increased to 63%. Thus, Mamin noted, the burden on the healthcare system has been reduced. The head of the Cabinet of Ministers also reported on the daily monitoring of the situation in the regions, where the number of infected was significantly higher, and the provision of medicines was worse than in large cities of the republic. Can we assume that the prime minister has reported the situation if Tokayev instructed the state commission to extend the quarantine measures for two weeks, followed by a gradual softening of the isolation?
Dosym Satpayev, a political scientist, director of the Risk Assessment Group, believes that Askar Mamin's report is more a PR action. "The government reported that in two weeks they managed to carry out all necessary measures, thanks to which the situation stabilized. He tried to convince the president that the Cabinet of Ministers followed the instructions of the head of state and there is no need to dissolve it. Kazakhstan understands that the personnel issue is worked out not only by Tokayev. Last fall, the president signed a decree according to which a significant part of personnel changes, and above all the resignation of the Cabinet of Ministers must be coordinated with Nursultan Nazarbayev," Satpayev told Vestnik Kavkaza.
However, Tokayev is trying to carry out targeted reshuffles in the government. In particular, changes have recently taken place in the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry. Earlier, the Minister of Health was changed.
"The key question is what Tokayev going to do with an ineffective, corrupt and absolutely discrediting bureaucratic machine, which amid the crisis was unable to solve the problem quickly and adequately. The targeted personnel reshuffles will not solve the problem. A systemic modernization of the entire state structure is needed," Satpayev said. But Tokayev, according to the expert, has limited space for maneuver. The existing bureaucratic apparatus remains a big obstacle for him. “Mikheil Saakashvili used to say that officials need three things: a big idea, big salary and law enforcement agencies ready to put anyone in jail, regardless of their connections and rank. We have only a“ big salary ”at the top of the state apparatus from this list, although many obviously receive not only salary. All attempts to develop a "big idea" in Kazakhstan have failed, since those who developed it did not believe in it, " the expert noted. And for all these three components to work, an upgrade of the entire political system is needed.
The Senate elections will take place on August 12, and elections for the lower house of Kazakhstan’s parliament are to be held early next year. Now the parliamentarians are on vacation and the approval of the new prime minister candidacy will have to wait until autumn, when the MPs return to work.
The new assistant to the head of state, Yerlan Karin, wrote in his Telegram channel that President Tokayev is in favor of actively attracting new managers to the civil service, using new approaches in recruiting personnel. In particular, last year, the head of state initiated a new project for the Presidential Youth Personnel Reserve, within the framework of which 300 reservists were selected, 150 of whom have already been employed in the civil service and in the quasi-public sector.
"Yesterday, Aibek Sattybayev, a representative of the Presidential Youth Personnel Reserve, was appointed deputy akim of Shymkent. Besides, Shyngys Mukan, a member of the National Council of Public Trust (NCPT), was appointed first deputy akim of Shymkent.
Shyngys Mukan is not the first member of the National Council recruited for public service. Prior to this, Bagdat Musin was "mobilized" from the NCPT ranks. First, he became an adviser to the president and is currently the interim minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry. in October 2019, Berik Abdygaliuly was appointed akim of the Ulytau district of the Karaganda region. Maxim Spotkay recently became deputy chief of staff of the Senate of Parliament, there are others as well. Thus, recently, the president has been actively recruiting new people from the public and youth environment, as a result of these actions, there is a systematic renewal of the management level," Karin said.
