ASTANA: Kazakh leader Nursultan Nazarbayev on Monday moved his prime minister Karim Massimov to the post of presidential administration chief amid jostling over the succession in the oil-rich state.
Former first deputy prime minister Serik Akhmetov was swiftly confirmed by parliament as the new premier in the Central Asian nation, which has been ruled by Nazarbayev since before the fall of the Soviet Union.
Analysts said the rare reshuffle was the clearest indication to date of whom Nazarbayev holds in most favour, with Massimov's new job a promotion rather than a move sideways.
"The presidential administration is an institution that impacts all aspects of Kazakh life," said respected independent political analyst Dosym Satpayev.
"Massimov had economic duties before. Now he is a political manager," the analyst said. "He definitely does not lose from this -- he only wins."
The 72-year-old Nazarbayev enjoys ultimate authority and after winning a new five-year term with 95.5 percent of the vote last year said he had the ability to rule the country for another decade.
But analysts and investors believe this centralisation is a liability for the booming nation of 17 million which is on good terms with world powers and a top global supplier of energy and natural resources such as uranium.
The man known as "leader of the nation" appeared to tear up one succession plan last year by ousting his son-in-law Timur Kulibayev -- husband of his daughter Dinara -- from a top energy post in the wake of deadly worker strikes.
Massimov, who preferred to stay out of the public limelight and orchestrate policy from behind the scenes, was seen by some as Kulibayev's main rival.
"We all have to stay on our president's team -- that is the most important thing," Massimov, who has been premier since 2007, told his last government meeting on Monday.
"This is an important time," he added before being formally presented to his administration by Nazarbayev.
Investors credit the 47-year-old, a quiet man who has Nazarbayev's ear more than anyone would ever suspect, with helping raise new interest in Kazakhstan through business-friendly policies.
Kazakhstan has also been credited by the World Bank with making some of the biggest strides among emerging power nations while achieving strong annual growth of 10 percent over the past decade.
Massimov replaces Aslan Musna as administration chief. An official statement said Musna -- who analysts said has failed to make an impression on Kazakh political circles -- was assigned a budget oversight role.
A speaker of English, Chinese and Arabic, Massimov already served at the vital natural resource ministry and worked as Kazakhstan's trade representative to Hong Kong.
He has also held posts as chairman of two large local banks and now serves as one of the most important points of contact for potential Western investors.
Massimov is believed to have played an instrumental role in hiring former British premier Tony Blair as an official Kazakh government economic advisor.
Akhmetov meanwhile has followed in the footsteps of Nazarbayev by spending years working at the same factory as the Kazakh leader before moving to his administration.
He has also served as governor of his native central Karaganda District since January.
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