BISHKEK, October 21 (RIA Novosti) - Kyrgyzstan's parliament approved on Wednesday the president's ally as the Central Asian state's new prime minister.
The pro-presidential Ak Zhol party, which dominates the legislature, voted almost unanimously for Daniyar Usenov, 49, a former presidential chief of staff.
The appointment came a day after President Kurmanbek Bakiyev reshuffled his government, forcing the resignation of Viktor Chudinov as premier. The move was part of wide-reaching government reforms, widely seen as giving more power to the president.
Bakiyev signed a decree later on Wednesday approving Usenov's appointment.
Speaking to parliament, Usenov said he would propose a new government structure for consideration later in the day.
Usenov said that "most ministers will be reappointed to the new cabinet," but also promised "reshuffles and new figures" in the government.
Usenov was one of Bakiyev's allies during the 2005 protests which forced longtime leader Askar Akayev to flee the country and brought Bakiyev to power.
Bakiyev criticized the current government setup on Tuesday as "cumbersome and incapable of quickly responding to crises and swift changes in the situation," and said he would cut the number of ministries, introducing a smaller number of agencies instead.
The overhaul is expected to save the impoverished former Soviet state about $11.5 million in budget funds, Bakiyev said.
The president said he also plans to reform the National Security Committee to make it more "more compact and efficient" in the face of growing security threats.
The opposition has long criticized Bakiyev for trying to amass too much power. The new constitution adopted in 2007 gave more authority to the president and parliament, cutting the government's powers.
