Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev appointed longtime adviser Erlan Karin as vice president, a newly created office under the constitution adopted earlier this year. The appointment makes Karin first in line to succeed Tokayev, 73, whose current term ends in 2029 and who remains eligible to seek another seven-year term. Parliament, dominated by the pro-Tokayev Adilet party, swiftly approved Karin’s appointment and Tokayev’s proposal to reappoint Olzhas Bektenov as prime minister. Karin, 50, has a counter-terrorism background and has advised Tokayev since 2019 while promoting the president’s “New Kazakhstan” ideology. Tokayev became president in 2019 as the chosen successor of founding president Nursultan Nazarbayev, but broke with him after nationwide unrest in 2022 that left hundreds dead and was described by Tokayev as a coup attempt by Nazarbayev-era figures.