Daniyal Akhmetov
Encyclopedia
Daniyal Kenzhetayuly Akhmetov (born 15 June 1954 in Pavlodar
, Kazakh SSR
) has served as the Minister of Defense and Gm/fr/neeneral of the Army of Kazakhstan
since Prime Minister
Karim Massimov
appointed him on 10 January 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister from 13 June 2003 to 9 January 2007. Critics refer to him as the Terminator, a nickname he gained as Governor
of Pavlodar Province, for his actions in suppressing supporters of Ghalymzhan Zhaqiyanov, the previous Governor. On 8 January 2007 he resigned. He did not say why, but President
Nursultan Nazarbayev
had criticized him in 2006 for overspending and other administrative errors. President Nazarbayev accepted his resignation, and immediately appointed him Acting Prime Minister.
He left office two days later when the new government took office, in which he became defense minister. He was dismised in June 2009.
. Prior to his appointment as Prime Minister, he served as the deputy prime minister for industry, energy, transport, and communications from 2001 to 2003. He managed to push through the land reform
bill that his predecessor, Imangali Tasmagambetov
, is rumored to have resigned over.
on 13 June 2003. Nazarbaev gave a speech saying the prime minister needed to have experience in provincial
government because the nation needed to speed up the pace of social and economic development. Akmetov was approved by 36 of 39 senators
and 73 of 77 members of the Mazhilis
.
Akhmetov told the parliament he wanted continuity in policy despite the change in government, and said that Kazakhstan is "building a state governed by the rule of law
where everyone has the right to freedom of conscience and expression, but that everyone should work within the law." He said there should not be dissidence, only constructive dialogue and mutual understanding, and called for everyone to engage in presidential economic programs.
, Shell
, the BG Group
, and ENI
, complaining that the proposed changes would negatively affect future investment. The companies specifically took issue with local content requirements, which were described as "unnecessarily burdensome" and that a requirement for KMG to own at least 50% of any development "may not be advisable in all circumstances."
on 23 September 2006 in Astana
and signed several bilateral agreements enhancing economic ties. The Government of South Korea
agreed to invest an additional $2 billion in joint projects in the energy, uranium-extraction, construction, transportation, and banking sectors. Akhmetov offered South Korea the option of participating in developing a new type of nuclear reactor. South Korean investors have stakes in more than 300 Kazakhstan-based companies. Han invited President Nazarbayev to visit South Korea
in 2007. Han was in Kazakhstan until 24 September. She then traveled to Uzbekistan
.
, the Prime Minister of the Russian republic of Tatarstan
, in Astana
, Kazakhstan on 13 October 2006. They discussed creating a joint venture
that would build helicopters, Kazakh government investment in petrochemical businesses in Tatarstan, and constructing a highway to western China that would connect St. Petersburg to Moscow
, Kazan
, Orenburg
, Qizilorda, Shymkent
, and Korgas in Xinjiang
, China. Akhmetov called the proposed highway "the shortest road link between Europe
and China." Iskender Muflikhanov, aide to Prime Minister Minnikhanov, said the Tatar government had "great hopes with regard to the shipping, or the assembling [in Kazakhstan] of KamAZ trucks. Work in under way on this West-South highway project in Kazakhstan and, as a rule, our KamAZ trucks are irreplaceable for projects of that magnitude."
, who at the time served as Deputy Prime Minister, to succeed Daniyal Akhmetov as Prime Minister
on 9 January 2007. Akhmetov resigned on 8 January without explanation. Analysts attributed Akhmetov's political downfall to the President's criticism of his administrative oversight of the economy
. The Parliament
confirmed the nomination on 10 January. Massimov appointed Akhmetov to Defense Minister, replacing Mukhtar Altynbayev
, and appointed Aslan Musin
, formerly the Minister of Economy and Budget, as Deputy Prime Minister.
Pavlodar
Pavlodar is a city in northeastern Kazakhstan and the capital of Pavlodar Province. It is located 350 km northeast of the national capital Astana, and 400 km southeast of the Russian city of Omsk along the Irtysh River. , the city has a population of 331710...
, Kazakh SSR
Kazakh SSR
The Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Kazakh SSR for short, was one of republics that made up the Soviet Union.At in area, it was the second largest constituent republic in the USSR, after the Russian SFSR. Its capital was Alma-Ata . Today it is the independent state of...
) has served as the Minister of Defense and Gm/fr/neeneral of the Army of Kazakhstan
Military of Kazakhstan
The Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan , is the name of the unified armed forces of Kazakhstan...
since Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Kazakhstan
-Chairmen of the Council of People's Commissars:*Viktor Radus-Zenkovich *Mukhamedkhafiy Murzagaliyev *Saken Seyfullin *Nygmet Nurmakov...
Karim Massimov
Karim Massimov
Karim Qajymqanuly Massimov has served as Prime Minister in the Government of Kazakhstan since 10 January 2007.Massimov is fluent in Kazakh, Russian, Chinese, English, and Arabic. He studied in China and worked in Hong Kong where he headed Kazakhstan's trading operations. At the same time, he is...
appointed him on 10 January 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister from 13 June 2003 to 9 January 2007. Critics refer to him as the Terminator, a nickname he gained as Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of Pavlodar Province, for his actions in suppressing supporters of Ghalymzhan Zhaqiyanov, the previous Governor. On 8 January 2007 he resigned. He did not say why, but President
President of Kazakhstan
President of Kazakhstan is the head of state, supreme commander-in-chief and holder of the highest office within the Kazakhstan. The authorities of this position are described in special section of Constitution of Kazakhstan....
Nursultan Nazarbayev
Nursultan Nazarbayev
Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev has served as the President of Kazakhstan since the nation received its independence in 1991, after the fall of the Soviet Union...
had criticized him in 2006 for overspending and other administrative errors. President Nazarbayev accepted his resignation, and immediately appointed him Acting Prime Minister.
He left office two days later when the new government took office, in which he became defense minister. He was dismised in June 2009.
Background
Akhmetov is an ethnic Kazakh. He has degrees in construction engineering and economicsEconomics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
. Prior to his appointment as Prime Minister, he served as the deputy prime minister for industry, energy, transport, and communications from 2001 to 2003. He managed to push through the land reform
Land reform
[Image:Jakarta farmers protest23.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Farmers protesting for Land Reform in Indonesia]Land reform involves the changing of laws, regulations or customs regarding land ownership. Land reform may consist of a government-initiated or government-backed property redistribution,...
bill that his predecessor, Imangali Tasmagambetov
Imangali Tasmagambetov
Imangali Nurgaliuly Tasmagambetov is the current mayor of Astana, Kazakhstan. From December 2004-April 2008 he served as the mayor of Almaty...
, is rumored to have resigned over.
Appointment
President Nursultan Nazarbaev nominated Akhmetov for the Prime Ministership to a joint session of parliamentParliament of Kazakhstan
The Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan is the bicameral legislature of Kazakhstan, according to the 1995 Constitution of Kazakhstan. The lower house is the Majilis, with 77 seats, elected to four year terms, 67 in single seat constituencies and 10 by proportional representation...
on 13 June 2003. Nazarbaev gave a speech saying the prime minister needed to have experience in provincial
Provinces of Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is divided into 14 provinces . The provinces are further subdivided into districts .Notes:* Almaty and Astana cities have the status of State importance and do not relate to any province....
government because the nation needed to speed up the pace of social and economic development. Akmetov was approved by 36 of 39 senators
Senate of Kazakhstan
The Senate of Kazakhastan is the upper house of two chambers in Kazakhstan's legislature, known as the Parliament . The Senate has 47 members, 40 of whom are elected for six-year terms in double-seat constituencies by the local assemblies, half renewed every two years; and 7 presidential...
and 73 of 77 members of the Mazhilis
Majilis
The Majilis is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Kazakhstan, known as the Parlamenti, in the Government of Kazakhstan. The upper house of Parliament is the Senate of Kazakhstan. There are 77 seats, 67 in single seat constituencies and 10 by proportional representation, in the Majilis...
.
Akhmetov told the parliament he wanted continuity in policy despite the change in government, and said that Kazakhstan is "building a state governed by the rule of law
Rule of law
The rule of law, sometimes called supremacy of law, is a legal maxim that says that governmental decisions should be made by applying known principles or laws with minimal discretion in their application...
where everyone has the right to freedom of conscience and expression, but that everyone should work within the law." He said there should not be dissidence, only constructive dialogue and mutual understanding, and called for everyone to engage in presidential economic programs.
Petroleum law changes
Akhmetov worked to change Kazakhstan's petroleum laws despite strong opposition from foreign companies. In May 2004, he received a letter from 47 foreign oil companies, including ChevronTexaco, ExxonMobilExxonMobil
Exxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil, is an American multinational oil and gas corporation. It is a direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil company, and was formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. Its headquarters are in Irving, Texas...
, Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
, the BG Group
BG Group
BG Group plc is a global oil and gas company headquartered in Reading, United Kingdom. It has operations in 25 countries across Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, North America and South America and produces around 680,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. It has a major Liquefied Natural Gas ...
, and ENI
Eni
Eni S.p.A. is an Italian multinational oil and gas company, present in 70 countries, and currently Italy's largest industrial company with a market capitalization of 87.7 billion euros , as of July 24, 2008...
, complaining that the proposed changes would negatively affect future investment. The companies specifically took issue with local content requirements, which were described as "unnecessarily burdensome" and that a requirement for KMG to own at least 50% of any development "may not be advisable in all circumstances."
Kazakhstan-South Korea relations
Akhmetov met with South Korean Prime Minister Han Myeong SookHan Myeong Sook
Han Myeong-sook was the Prime Minister of South Korea from April 2006 to March 2007. She was South Korea's first and so far only female prime minister. She was from the UNDP as a member for Ilsan-gab, and is a graduate of Ewha Womans University in Seoul with a degree in French literature...
on 23 September 2006 in Astana
Astana
Astana , formerly known as Akmola , Tselinograd and Akmolinsk , is the capital and second largest city of Kazakhstan, with an officially estimated population of 708,794 as of 1 August 2010...
and signed several bilateral agreements enhancing economic ties. The Government of South Korea
Government of South Korea
The Government of South Korea is divided into executive, judicial, and legislative branches. The executive and judicial branches operate primarily at the national level, although various ministries in the executive branch also carry out local functions. Local governments are semi-autonomous, and...
agreed to invest an additional $2 billion in joint projects in the energy, uranium-extraction, construction, transportation, and banking sectors. Akhmetov offered South Korea the option of participating in developing a new type of nuclear reactor. South Korean investors have stakes in more than 300 Kazakhstan-based companies. Han invited President Nazarbayev to visit South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
in 2007. Han was in Kazakhstan until 24 September. She then traveled to Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
.
Kazakhstan-Tatarstan relations
Akhmetov met with Rustam MinnikhanovRustam Minnikhanov
Rustam Nurgaliyevich Minnikhanov is a Tatar politician and the second and current President of Tatarstan, a federal subject of Russia.-Early life and education:...
, the Prime Minister of the Russian republic of Tatarstan
Tatarstan
The Republic of Tatarstan is a federal subject of Russia located in the Volga Federal District. Its capital is the city of Kazan, which is one of Russia's largest and most prosperous cities. The republic borders with Kirov, Ulyanovsk, Samara, and Orenburg Oblasts, and with the Mari El, Udmurt,...
, in Astana
Astana
Astana , formerly known as Akmola , Tselinograd and Akmolinsk , is the capital and second largest city of Kazakhstan, with an officially estimated population of 708,794 as of 1 August 2010...
, Kazakhstan on 13 October 2006. They discussed creating a joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
that would build helicopters, Kazakh government investment in petrochemical businesses in Tatarstan, and constructing a highway to western China that would connect St. Petersburg to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Kazan
Kazan
Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...
, Orenburg
Orenburg
Orenburg is a city on the Ural River and the administrative center of Orenburg Oblast, Russia. It lies southeast of Moscow, very close to the border with Kazakhstan. Population: 546,987 ; 549,361 ; Highest point: 154.4 m...
, Qizilorda, Shymkent
Shymkent
Shymkent , formerly known as Chimkent , is the capital city of South Kazakhstan Province, the most populated region in Kazakhstan. It is the third most populous city in Kazakhstan behind Almaty and Astana with a population of 629,600 . A major railroad junction on the Turkestan-Siberia Railway, the...
, and Korgas in Xinjiang
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
, China. Akhmetov called the proposed highway "the shortest road link between Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and China." Iskender Muflikhanov, aide to Prime Minister Minnikhanov, said the Tatar government had "great hopes with regard to the shipping, or the assembling [in Kazakhstan] of KamAZ trucks. Work in under way on this West-South highway project in Kazakhstan and, as a rule, our KamAZ trucks are irreplaceable for projects of that magnitude."
2007 political shakeup
President Nazarbayev nominated Karim MassimovKarim Massimov
Karim Qajymqanuly Massimov has served as Prime Minister in the Government of Kazakhstan since 10 January 2007.Massimov is fluent in Kazakh, Russian, Chinese, English, and Arabic. He studied in China and worked in Hong Kong where he headed Kazakhstan's trading operations. At the same time, he is...
, who at the time served as Deputy Prime Minister, to succeed Daniyal Akhmetov as Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Kazakhstan
-Chairmen of the Council of People's Commissars:*Viktor Radus-Zenkovich *Mukhamedkhafiy Murzagaliyev *Saken Seyfullin *Nygmet Nurmakov...
on 9 January 2007. Akhmetov resigned on 8 January without explanation. Analysts attributed Akhmetov's political downfall to the President's criticism of his administrative oversight of the economy
Economy of Kazakhstan
The economy of Kazakhstan is the largest economy in Central Asia. It possesses enormous fossil fuel reserves as well as minerals and metals. It also has considerable agricultural potential with its vast steppe lands accommodating both livestock and grain production, as well as developed space...
. The Parliament
Parliament of Kazakhstan
The Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan is the bicameral legislature of Kazakhstan, according to the 1995 Constitution of Kazakhstan. The lower house is the Majilis, with 77 seats, elected to four year terms, 67 in single seat constituencies and 10 by proportional representation...
confirmed the nomination on 10 January. Massimov appointed Akhmetov to Defense Minister, replacing Mukhtar Altynbayev
Mukhtar Altynbayev
Mukhtar Qapashuly Altynbayev served as the Minister of Defense and General of the Army of Kazakhstan twice, most recently from December 2001 to 10 January 2007. Prime Minister Karim Massimov replaced him with former Prime Minister Daniyal Akhmetov in a political shakeup...
, and appointed Aslan Musin
Aslan Musin
Aslan Mussin is the former Speaker of Majilis of the Parliament of Kazakhstan. He has served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan since 10 January 2007. He previously served as Minister of Economy and Budget Planning of Kazakhstan from 4 October 2006 to 9 January 2007. Prior to that he...
, formerly the Minister of Economy and Budget, as Deputy Prime Minister.