The lower chamber of Kazakh parliament will have its first session in Astana at 10 am on January 20, ordered by President Nursultan Nazarbayev. The session will focus on the confidence vote for parliament.
A positive vote will allow the government to realize its functions, unless the president makes a contrary decision. Resignation of Prime Minister Karim Masimov would mean dissolution of government.
The Kazakh government resigns. Karim Masimov filed a resignation note after announcement of polling results by the CEC, according to the law. His resignation will most likely be passed by the president in the nearest future.
Kazakhstan had parliamentary polls on January 16. Three parties entered the parliament – Nur Otan, Ak Zhol and the Communist Party.
Karim Masimov remains the most likely candidate for the new prime-ministers position, experts told Vestnik Kavkaza. Leonid Gusev, a scientist from the Institute for International Studies of MGIMO, said that Masimov had been supervising the Cabinet for many years. He suits the elites. But the society wants changes and there may be a new candidate. The question is “who?” It will remain a mystery until the first session.
Alexander Karayev, Deputy Director General of the MGU Center for Information and Analysis, says that Masimov has the best chances to take the position. There are other two candidates: Timur Kulibayev, head of the National Welfare Foundation “Samruk-Kazyn” and Aslan Musin, head of the Presidential Administration. Kulibayev was dismissed after the disorders in Janaozen. It is harder to make predictions about Musin. Most analysts in Kazakhstan expect Masimov to become the new PM, Alexander Karavayev says.
