Akezhan Kazhegeldin Former Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Date of Birth: 27.03.1952 Country: Kazakhstan

Biography of Akzhan Kazhegeldin

Akzhan Magzhanovich Kazhegeldin, the former Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, was born on March 27, 1952, in the village of Georgievka in the Semipalatinsk region. He comes from a family of teachers. Kazhegeldin graduated from the Semipalatinsk Pedagogical Institute in 1974 and the Alma-Ata Institute of National Economy in 1985.

He holds a Doctorate in Economics and is a member of the International Academy of Management. He is fluent in four languages. Kazhegeldin is the author of the journalistic book "Kazakhstan: The Right to Choose" (1998) and several monographs on economic topics. He began his career in 1974 as a teacher in a secondary school in Semipalatinsk. In 1976, he was drafted into the army and served in the KGB Department of the Semipalatinsk region.

From 1979, Kazhegeldin worked in the party and Soviet bodies of Semipalatinsk. In 1987, he enrolled in the training courses for the leadership of the Higher School of the KGB of the USSR in Moscow. In June 1989, he submitted a report requesting dismissal from the KGB.

In 1989, Kazhegeldin returned to Kazakhstan and started his own business. In 1990, he became the General Director of the multi-profile production complex "Semey," which quickly became one of the most dynamic private enterprises in the country. In 1991, Kazhegeldin returned to work in government bodies, serving as the Deputy Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Semipalatinsk Regional Council of People's Deputies and the Deputy Head of the Semipalatinsk Regional Administration (1992-1993).

Simultaneously, since June 1992, Kazhegeldin was elected as the Chairman of the Council of Entrepreneurs under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. He participated in the preparation of several economic bills. In July 1993, Kazhegeldin became a public politician of national scale. He ran as an alternative candidate and was elected as a deputy of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The main points of Kazhegeldin's pre-election program were the democratization of the political system, liberal economic reforms, and the fight against crime.

In December 1993, Kazhegeldin was appointed as the First Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kazakhstan.

From October 1994, Kazhegeldin served as the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan. During his tenure (1994-1997), Kazakhstan became a country with a stable national currency, low inflation, an independent financial and banking system, growing gold and currency reserves, and a large private sector in the economy. Within three years, the government conducted privatization of major industrial assets in Kazakhstan, attracting billions of dollars in foreign investments to the country. At the same time, the national capital strengthened its position, and the foundations of the stock market were laid.

The successes of the Kazakhstani government made Kazhegeldin popular in the CIS and the West. In 1996, the Adam Smith Institute (London) awarded him the title of "Reformer of the Year."

In the fall of 1997, Kazhegeldin resigned from the position of Prime Minister of Kazakhstan of his own volition. He worked on a book, made a series of trips at the invitation of foreign public organizations, and served as a consultant for international financial institutions.

In March 1998, Kazhegeldin was elected as the President of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Taking advantage of his popularity abroad, he attracted grants to the country for the implementation of humanitarian programs supporting small and medium-sized businesses, fighting tuberculosis, and computerizing schools. At Kazhegeldin's initiative, the charitable foundation "Rodina" was established.

During this period, differences in political views between Akzhan Kazhegeldin and President Nazarbayev emerged. In the summer of 1998, the book "Kazakhstan: The Right to Choose" was published in Almaty, which criticized the existing political system in Kazakhstan. Kazhegeldin advocated for the creation of a civil society in the country, the election and rotation of power, public participation in decision-making, the independence of the judiciary, and freedom of the media. He formulated the demand for a transition from "soft authoritarianism" to full-fledged democracy.

In September 1998, at the request of Kazhegeldin and with the support of the "Kazakhstan XXI Century" Foundation, a project to amend the Constitution and a draft Law on Elections in Kazakhstan were developed. However, this initiative did not receive support from the authorities. Shortly after, the President and Parliament of Kazakhstan decided to hold early elections for the head of state. At the same time, several amendments were made to the Constitution of Kazakhstan that clearly contradicted democratic norms.

In protest, Kazhegeldin resigned from his position as President of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and as an external economic advisor to N. Nazarbayev in October 1998.

On October 8, Kazhegeldin made an official statement about his intention to run as a candidate in the upcoming presidential elections in Kazakhstan. According to sociologists, his high political rating gave him the opportunity to compete effectively with N. Nazarbayev.

In response, the authorities launched an unprecedented campaign against Kazhegeldin. All means were used, from attempts to discredit him in the press to organizing an assassination attempt. In October 1998, the Medeu District Court in Almaty fined Kazhegeldin for participating in the founding meeting of the "For Fair Elections" movement. Based on this verdict, the Central Election Commission of Kazakhstan refused to register Kazhegeldin as a candidate for president.

Despite being excluded from participating in the elections, Kazhegeldin continues to be one of the most well-known politicians in Kazakhstan. In December 1998, at his initiative, the Congress of Democratic Forces of Kazakhstan was held in Moscow, where participants decided to create the Republican People's Party of Kazakhstan (RNPK).

On December 17, 1998, at the founding congress of the party in Almaty, Akzhan Kazhegeldin was elected as the Chairman of the RNPK.