Kazakhstani president’s “shakedown” of Astana akim Aset Isekeshev, didn’t go unnoticed. This happened during a session dedicated to international specialized exhibition EXPO-2017 on April 21st 2017, and Kazakhstan’s president’s words about a “clean face and a butt full of holes” was quoted by all Kazakhstani print media outlets and internet-resources.
Under conditions of strict authoritarian political system, such harsh criticism means that the bureaucrat, who caused the rage of the first face of the government is on the verge of being fired. Due to this, a question arises: why did the leader of the nation suddenly went after one of his allies and what became the reason for a public beat down of Isekeshov.
Keeping with Kazakhstani inner political practice, the shakedown of Astana akim cannot be a regular coincidence. Such actions always have a political character and each of its organizers and participants follows their own private goals.
As for elabasy himself, he is taking precautions, in case EXPO will not go as well as planned, or if it fails. In that case, Nazarbaev will blame Aset Isekeshov as well as the management of the exhibit itself, for what has happened.
We won’t comment on the justifiability of the shakedown of the Astana akim, we will only note that in any case, it was prepared by someone. Based on available information, there were two – Jaksybekov – the head of presidential administration, and Nurlan Nigmatulin, the speaker of Majlis of the parliament. Both are quite influential figures in Akorda.
The reason for why Jaksybekov decided to “take down” Isekeshev, isn’t hard to figure out.
Sergey Khoroshun, starting from September of 2006 works as a first deputy head to Astana akim and is a close ally to the head of presidential administration of KR, through who he realizes his private interests in capital’s construction business.
After his appointment, Isekeshev constantly tried to fire Khoroshun, but he never succeeded. As a result, business opportunities of a newly-elected akim turned out to be quite limited, since the owners of companies have ties with other people; at the same time he has to constantly answer for all its downfalls.
In turn Nurlan Nigmatulin holds a grudge toward Isekeshev after the former tried to fire from his position the deputy akim of Astana Malika Bekturova, daughter of Erlan Nigmatulin and the niece of speaker of the lower chamber of parliament.
Thus, the fate of Aset Isekeshev hang on a string. It is clear that he will keep his position until the end of EXPO ’17, but what happens later depends on how the exhibition will go and whether his enemies will be able to lobby their own private interests before Nazarbaev.
