Zofa Kachunyeva

*This name uses Tagik naming customs; the patronymic is* Nürsultan ķiza*, while the family name is* Kachunyeva.

**Zofa Nürsultan ķiza Kachunyeva** (Borgiz: *Зофа Нүрсултан қіза Качуньева*; Kashan: *Зофа Нурсултановна Качуньева*; born 17 January 1957) is a Borgizstani politician and economist who has served as president of Borgizstan since 2014, being the first woman to serve in the position. Kachunyeva is additionally the founder and leader of the Alliance Party, and served as Minister of Finance from 2010 to 2012, also being the first woman to hold that post.

Born in Zhastany to a working-class family, Kachunyeva moved to Zakarina after finishing high school to attend Zakarina State University, graduating with a degree in economics in 1979. She briefly worked as a bookkeeper until marrying in 1981, and subsequently leaving her employment to be a housewife and mother. She returned to the workforce in 1999, finding employment at the Ministry of Finance in Kasha as an adviser on economic policy. Kachunyeva returned to Zhastany with her husband in 2003, and became a senior economic policy adviser for the Borgizstani Ministry of Finance.

In 2010, Kachunyeva was appointed by Chingiz Altundev to serve as Minister of Finance, becoming the first woman to serve in this position. In 2011, reports of friction between Kachunyeva and Altundev regarding policy decisions began to arise in the Borgizstani press. The reports culminated in Kachunyeva announcing her immediate resignation on 18 December 2012. The following year, Kachunyeva founded the Alliance Party of Borgizstan, and announced her intention to stand in the 2014 presidential election to challenge Altundev. She ultimately placed second in the first round, advancing to the run-off where she defeated Altundev in a close race, winning 50.9% of the vote. Following her inauguration, Kachunyeva became the first woman to serve as president in Borgizstani history. She was reelected to a second term in the 2019 election, winning 51.4% of the vote in the first round.

As the founder of the Alliance Party, Kachunyeva has described herself and her party as prioritizing liberalism, secularism, support for the middle-class, and a close working relationship with Kasha.

## Early life and education

Kachunyeva was born on 17 January 1957 in Zhastany to parents Nürsultan Kachunyev (1931–2003) and Asha Alinbekova (1935–2018). Her father worked as an auto-mechanic, while her mother was a secretary at an architecture firm. Kachunyeva comes from an ethnic Borgiz background, and was raised as a Eurean Muslim speaking the Borgiz language. She is the second of four children; her siblings include Aysilu, born  (1954-10-18) 18 October 1954 (age 69), Kärim, born  (1960-03-12) 12 March 1960 (age 63), and Damir (1963–1994).

Kachunyeva began her education in 1963, attending a local, public primary school in Zhastany. While in primary school, Kachunyeva was a gifted student who excelled in mathematics and science. She wished to become a surgeon, but was discouraged by her parents, who preferred she pursue something more "realistic" for both a woman and someone of their working-class socioeconomic status. She graduated from primary school in 1969, subsequently enrolling in the Zhastany School of Mathematics, a highly selective public secondary school. While in school, Kachunyeva was one of only four girls in her class, but has stated that her male classmates still had "widespread respect" for the four of them. She graduated from the school in 1975, afterwards moving to Zakarina to enroll in the Faculty of Economics at Zakarina State University, graduating with her degree in 1979.

## Finance career

After graduating with her economics degree in 1979, Kachunyeva had doubts over whether she truly wanted to pursue a career in the industry. In order to support herself, she found work as a bookkeeper at a local discotheque in Zakarina. She was paid minimally, but the owner compensated her with free entry and drinks for her and her friends whenever they visited. Kachunyeva resigned from the position upon her marriage in 1981, instead deciding to prioritize motherhood and becoming a housewife.

After 18 years out of the workforce, Kachunyeva was persuaded by her children to find a job in finance. In 1999, she was hired as an economic advisor at the Ministry of Finance, after having been recommended by a friend of her husband who was employed at the ministry. In 2001, after two years of employment, she was promoted to senior economic advisor. In 2003, she left the position after returning to Zhastany in order to care for her mother following the death of her father. In Zhastany, Kachunyeva was hired as a senior economic policy advisor at the Borgizstani Ministry of Finance. In 2007, she became deputy director of the ministry, a nonpartisan position.

## Political career

### Minister of Finance

Kachunyeva began her political career in 2010, after she was appointed by Chingiz Altundev to serve as Minister of Finance in the cabinet of Chenvak Nüminyaryev. This appointment made Kachunyeva the first woman to serve in the position; in addition to becoming the first woman in the role, Kachunyeva was considered to be the most powerful woman in Borgiz history, as the finance minister is considered to be one of the four most powerful ministerial positions, and neither of the other three had ever been filled by a woman. As finance minister, Kachunyeva was responsible for overseeing government finances, economic policy, and financial regulation.

A year into her term, allegations of friction between Kachunyeva and Altundev began to arise. Altundev, a member of the Workers' Party of Borgizstan, began to push for more left-wing economic reform and was reportedly dissatisfied with Kachunyeva's support for economic liberalism. In June 2011, a representative for Kachunyeva stated that there was "no friction" and that both "Minister Kachunyeva and President Altundev have a strong working relationship, as they always have had." Further controversy arose in September 2012, when Kachunyeva publicly refused to implement new financial regulations on corporations, as pledged by Altundev. The media subsequently reported that this "ruined any remaining relationship" between the two.

In December 2012, Kachunyeva publicly tendered her resignation as finance minister. In her statement, she stated that she was "no longer able to work in the environment she was in," and in private reportedly credited this allegation to "nonstop harassment" from Altundev and his allies. She was subsequently replaced by Pavel Chudarek.

### President

After leaving her position as finance minister, Kachunyeva emerged as an opposition figure. By January 2013, the media considered her to be one of Altundev's primary challengers in the upcoming presidential election. In May 2013, she founded the Alliance Party, a centrist political party supporting economic liberalism, secularism, support for the middle-class, and a close relationship with Kasha. In January 2014, Kachunyeva officially declared her candidacy in the 2014 presidential election. She quickly began to emerge as a frontrunner in the election, specifically receiving support from the middle-classes and Kashan Borgizstanis. She adopted an anti-corruption campaign angle, accusing Altundev and his government of widespread government corruption.

In the first round of the election, Kachunyeva and the Alliance Party placed second behind Altundev and the Workers' Party, receiving 22.5% of the vote. As Altundev did not win a majority, the two of them advanced to the second round, which was expected to be neck-and-neck. Kachunyeva ramped up her campaigning against corruption, and went on to defeat Altundev after winning 50.9% of the vote. She was sworn in as president of Borgizstan on 17 November 2014, becoming the first woman to serve in the role. After taking office as president, she called for a parliamentary election, which saw the Alliance Party taking control of the Council of Deputies. She then appointed Albert Shafigulin to serve as prime minister. As president, Kachunyeva further promoted ties with Kasha, which has elicited criticism from international observers. She additionally has undone some economic regulations set in place by her predecessor, in-line with her promotion of economic liberalism. Shafigulin was sacked by Kachunyeva in January 2016, amidst disagreements with his governmental leadership, and was replaced by Adelä Utiasheva, who became the first woman to serve as prime minister; this additionally became the first time in world history that a female head of government governed together with an elected female head of state.

In February 2019, Kachunyeva declared her intent to run for reelection in the 2019 presidential election. She was the widespread favorite going into the election, with no serious challengers to her candidacy. She ultimately won 51.4% of the vote in the first round, with no need to advance to a second round. This made Kachunyeva the first Borgizstani presidential candidate to win an election in the first round, and only the second to ever win reelection. Following her reelection win, Utiasheva resigned as prime Minister and Kachunyeva appointed Osman Dudrikyev in her place.

## Personal life

Kachunyeva began a relationship with Kashan financier Nikolai Mamadurin in 1979, after meeting at a discotheque. They became engaged after eight months of dating, and later married in 1981. After their marriage, they resided together in Zakarina. Kachunyeva and Mamadurin have three children together: Svetlana, born  (1983-06-07) 7 June 1983 (age 40), Alexey, born  (1985-12-10) 10 December 1985 (age 38), and Polina, born  (1990-04-02) 2 April 1990 (age 33). In 2003, the family left Zakarina and moved to Zhastany. In 2014, they began residing in the Presidential Palace.

Kachunyeva received Kashan citizenship in 1990, upon the dissolution of the Kashan Union. In 2005, she filed for Borgizstani citizenship and renounced her Kashan citizenship; she now holds solely Borgizstani citizenship. Kachunyeva is fluent in Borgiz, Kashan, and Ditrovian. She has identified herself as a "secular Eurean Muslim."