Kyrgyzstan’s Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov Removed from Power

The presidential administration announced in a statement on Monday that Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov dismissed Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov. He was “dismissed from his post due to a transfer to another position,” according to the website of the presidency. Since 2021, he has served as prime minister. No further details were given regarding what position the former prime minister will be taking.

According to an announcement from the presidential administration, the president gave the First Deputy (Acting Prime Minister) Prime Minister post to Adylbek Kasymaliyev. He will be taking care of the prime ministerial responsibilities. According to the announcement, Kasymaliyev’s application for the position was sent to the Kyrgyz parliament for approval. Kasymaliyev has served as the Cabinet’s first deputy chairman since 2022. 

According to a second announcement, the Kyrgyz president removed Kasymaliyev from his position as economics minister and named Daniyar Amangeldiev as the interim first deputy chairman for the meantime.

Kyrgyzstan since gaining independence in 1991, a former Soviet Republic and mountainous nation in Central Asia has experienced severe political and social unrest. Money transfers from millions of migrant workers in Russia which account for a fifth of the nation’s GDP are a major contributor to its economy, according to figures from the United Nations.

Akylbek Japarov:

He returned to the forefront of Kyrgyz politics under President Japarov in 2021 after a lengthy political career that included positions under past presidents Akayev and Bakiev. He was hired as an advisor on financial and economic matters. Later on, he held the positions of Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Economy and Commerce. He took on the combined responsibilities of head of the Presidential Administration and head of the Cabinet of Ministers on October 13th 2021 and remained in that capacity until his termination.

The length of Akylbek Japarov’s term as head of state is noteworthy. 33 prime ministers have led Kyrgyzstan since its independence in 1991, several of them were in power for less than a year while others were in government for just a few days. Given this, Akylbek Japarov’s comparatively lengthy term of almost three years is a noteworthy accomplishment in Kyrgyz political history.

Akylbek Japarov was a deputy in the Jogorku Kenesh (parliament) from 2000 until 2005. He served in a number of important capacities throughout the years including chair of the Committee on Budget and Finance, deputy and first deputy prime minister. During his time as Minister of Economy and Finance, Akylbek Japarov was most well-known for promoting the contentious concept of livestock passports. By giving animal identity, this program aimed to assist farms in exporting meat enhancing traceability and quality requirements.