Nazarbayev, heads of parliamentary factions discuss candidacy of new PM
ASTANA. Sept 24 (Interfax) - Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has held consultations with the heads of the parliamentary factions to discuss a candidate for the post of prime minister, the presidential press service has reported.
The candidate will be presented to the parliamentarians on Monday afternoon.
Sources with knowledge on the matter have named First Deputy Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov as a probable candidate for the post.
The presidential press service reported earlier on Monday that Nazarbayev had accepted the resignation of Karim Masimov from the post of prime minister.
Akhmetov, 54, became first deputy prime minister in January 2012. He is a native of the Karaganda region of Kazakhstan and an engineer by profession and holds a doctoral decree in economics. He has worked for the presidential administration, headed the businessmen's union Atameken, and was board chairman of Kazakhstan Engineering. He was transport and communications minister in the period between September 2006 and March 2009, deputy prime minister in March-November 2009, and the head of the Karaganda region from November 2009 to January 2012.
