ASTANA – Amanat party, which won the parliamentary election in March 2023, proposed the candidacy of Olzhas Bektenov, who has been serving as the head of the Executive Office (chief of staff) of the President since April last year, as the next Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, reported Akorda press service on Feb. 6.
Born in 1980, Bektenov graduated from the Kazakh State Law Academy with a law degree. photo: Akorda Press Service
Born in 1980, Bektenov graduated from the Kazakh State Law Academy with a law degree.
He worked as the chief specialist in the Almaty justice department. Since 2005, Bektenov held different positions in the office of the Prime Minister and the Executive Office of the President. In 2009-2012, he served as deputy chairman of the Committee for Registration Service and Legal Assistance of the Justice Ministry. In 2012-2014, he headed a department in the central office of the Agency of Kazakhstan for Combating Economic and Corruption Crime.
In 2016-2017, Bektenov headed the Astana Department of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau. He later served as Deputy Akim (Governor) of the Akmola Region in 2017-2018, becoming Deputy Chairman of the Agency for Public Service and Fighting Corruption in 2018. It was through his efforts that Kazakhstan joined the Group of States against Corruption of the Council of Europe (GRECO) on Jan. 1, 2020.
In 2022, following the tragic January events, Bektenov became chairman of that agency, continuing to spearhead efforts to fight graft. Last April, following the parliamentary election, he replaced Murat Nurtleu as the President’s chief of staff.
“Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is constantly looking for talented people. Whether on trips around the country and abroad, during meetings and conferences, the President always pays very close attention to each interlocutor, carefully delves into the essence of the issues being discussed, and takes note of professionally savvy and promising specialists. Many of them later join the leadership of ministries, akimats [local administrations], and quasi-state companies,” Bektenov said in an interview with Tengrinews last year.
Today, at 3 p.m. Astana time, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will discuss the proposed candidacy with the leaders of party factions in the Mazhilis, the lower house of the Parliament, in accordance with the legislation of Kazakhstan.
On Feb. 5, Tokayev signed a decree on the dismissal of the government. Alikhan Smailov has held the post of Prime Minister since January 2022.
