Kazakhstan’s president dismisses his Cabinet

MOSCOW (AP) — The president of Kazakhstan has fired his Cabinet after criticizing its performance. A decree released by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s office said he accepted the resignation of the Cabinet led by Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov. He named Smailov’s deputy, Roman Sklyar, as the acting premier. Monday’s decree also ordered Cabinet members to continue exercising their duties pending the approval of a new Cabinet. Smailov was named as prime minister in the wake of violent protests in January 2022 that left 225 people dead in the worst unrest since the Central Asian nation gained independence following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. His role has been mostly technical, with Tokayev dominating the country’s politics.