Azerbaijan, Baku, July 25 / Trend A.Gasimova /
Kazakh Presidential Adviser Ermuhambet Yertysbayev's interview to the Russian newspaper Kommersant, in which he names influential Kazakh businessman Timur Kulibayev as the most likely successor to President Nursultan Nazarbayev, is a part of more general plan on " legitimizing" the Kulibayev-Masimov tandem- as heirs of Elbasy (heads of the people), the Deputy Dean of the History Department of Moscow State University, Chief Editor of the Vestnik Kavkaza and Trend Expert Council member, Alexei Vlasov, said.
In his interview, Yertysbayev described Kulibayev as a possible successor to the President.
"If emergency situation occurs over President Nazarbayev's resignation, then namely Kulibayev will be able to continue the strategic course of the president," Yertysbayev said. "Kulibayev has a systemic thinking and a great managerial experience."
Kulibayev is the chairman of the Kazakh Welfare Fund Samruk-Kazyna and the son in law of President Nazarbayev
Karim Masimov is the Kazakh Prime Minister.
Vlasov said rumors about Nazarbayev's adverse health condition encouraged Ak Orda to more clearly articulate the power transfer options in case of force majeure situations, to bring solace to the main elite groups.
Previously, the presidential press service reported that Nazarbayev is in a short vacation. The service did not confirm media information appeared with reference to the German media that Nazarbayev was hospitalized in Hamburg with the aim of the operation.
The presidential administration did not confirm the info, saying that Nazarbayev has just passed a preventive medical examination at a clinic abroad, as is standard practice.
"Adverse factors of the internal nature (the strike in the west of Kazakhstan) and the information war on the part of fugitive oligarch Mukhtar Ablyazov also dictate the necessity of this step," Vlasov said.
Ablyazov is the ex-minister and ex-owner of "BTA Bank". He received asylum in Britain.
Earlier some said that Kulibayev will be the successor of President Nazarbayev, but this fact was announced as a reality for the first time, Vlasov said.
"Now, the Ak Orda will focus on building an effective system of checks and balances that ensures the interests of all pressure groups of the higher echelons of the power,' he said.