Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has appointed Erlan Karin, a longtime adviser, as the country's vice president, a position created under a new constitution adopted earlier this year. The move was reported by The Straits Times and confirmed by TASS, which cited a presidential decree published by the presidential press service.

Karin, 50, previously served as first deputy head of the presidential administration and as state counsellor before the new constitution took effect. According to The Straits Times, Karin has a background in counter-terrorism and has been a close adviser to Tokayev since the president took office in 2019. The appointment makes Karin first in line to succeed Tokayev, the report added.

Tokayev, 73, is eligible to run for another seven-year term under the new constitution, Kazakhstan's supreme court has said, according to The Straits Times. His current term ends in 2029, and Kazakh presidents are otherwise limited to a single term under the basic law.

Parliament approved the vice presidential appointment. TASS reported that members of Kazakhstan's new unicameral parliament, the Kurultai, voted in favor of Karin's candidacy, which was proposed by Tokayev, with 141 of 145 deputies present supporting it. The Straits Times noted that parliament is dominated by the pro-Tokayev Adilet party.

Tokayev also signed a decree appointing Olzhas Bektenov as prime minister, a position he has held since 2024, according to both outlets. TASS reported that the cabinet stepped down in August 2026 ahead of the first session of the Kurultai, in accordance with the constitution.

Tokayev, a former Soviet diplomat and top United Nations official, took office as the chosen successor of Nursultan Nazarbayev, who ruled Kazakhstan from 1991 to 2019, according to The Straits Times. The report added that Tokayev broke from his predecessor in 2022 after nationwide unrest that left hundreds dead and which he cast as a coup attempt by Nazarbayev-era figures.