Yerlan Karin Appointed as Kazakhstan’s Vice President

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed a decree appointing Yerlan Karin as vice president after his candidacy was approved by the Kurultai. Karin received the support of 141 out of 145 deputies in a vote held on 31 August, Akorda reported.

Before the Kurultai vote, Karin’s candidacy was presented by the president of Kazakhstan. The overwhelming majority of deputies supported his appointment.

The institution of the vice president was established in Kazakhstan following the adoption of the new Constitution. Under the established procedure, the vice president is appointed by the head of state with the consent of the Kurultai.

The vice president is responsible for representing the president in interactions with parliament, the government and other state bodies. If the president is removed from office ahead of schedule, the president’s powers are transferred to the vice president.

Tokayev proposed establishing the institution of the vice president and introducing the relevant provisions into the Constitution in January 2026. At the time, he said the creation of the position should help stabilize the state governance process and define the hierarchy of power.

Yerlan Karin was born in 1976 in the Turkistan region. He began his professional career as a secondary school teacher. In subsequent years, Karin served as director of the Central Asian Agency for Political Research, secretary of the former ruling Nur Otan party, and head of the Kazakhstan Republican Television and Radio Corporation.

Since 2019, Karin had worked in the structures of the administration of the head of state. At various times, he served as an aide, state secretary and state adviser to the president of Kazakhstan.

From June 2026 until his appointment as vice president, Karin served as first deputy head of the Presidential Administration of Kazakhstan.