Daniyal Akhmetov

Daniyal Kenzhetayuly Akhmetov (Kazakh: Дaниал Кенжетaйұлы Ахметов) (born 15 June 1954) is a Kazakh politician who was Prime Minister of Kazakhstan from 13 June 2003 to 9 January 2007.

Critics refer to him as "The Terminator", a nickname he gained as Governor of Pavlodar Province for his actions in suppressing supporters of Ghalymzhan Zhaqiyanov, the previous Governor. On 8 January 2007 he resigned as Prime Minister. He did not say why, but President Nursultan Nazarbayev had criticized him in 2006 for overspending and other administrative errors. President Nazarbayev accepted his resignation, and immediately appointed him Acting Prime Minister.

Akhmetov was included as Minister of Defense in the government that took office on 10 January 2007. He was dismissed from that post in June 2009. On 11 November 2014 he was appointed as Governor of the East Kazakhstan Region.

Akhmetov was born in 1954 at Pavlodar in the Kazakh SSR. He is an ethnic Kazakh. He has degrees in construction engineering and economics. Prior to his appointment as Prime Minister, he served as Deputy Prime Minister for Industry, Energy, Transport, and Communications from 2001 to 2003. He managed to push through the land reform bill that his predecessor, Imangali Tasmagambetov, is rumored to have resigned over.

President Nursultan Nazarbayev nominated Akhmetov as Prime Minister at a joint session of parliament on 13 June 2003. Nazarbayev gave a speech saying the prime minister needed to have experience in provincial government because the nation needed to speed up the pace of social and economic development. Akmetov was approved by 36 of 39 senators and 73 of 77 members of the Mazhilis.

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