Adelä Utiasheva

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

**Adelä Arslan ķiza Utiasheva** (Borgiz: *Аделә Арслан қіза Утяшева*; Kashan: *Адела Арслановна Утяшева*; born 2 May 1960) is a Borgizstani politician who served as prime minister of Borgizstan from 2016 to 2019, becoming the first woman to ever serve in the role. She had previously served as Minister of Commerce in the Shafigulin cabinet from 2015 to 2016, and as Minister of Social Development in the Gasharov cabinet from 2012 to 2013. Since 2014, Utiasheva has been a member of the Alliance Party.

Born in Zhastany, Utiasheva graduated from secondary school in 1978, afterwards enrolling in Zhastany State University to study political science. She graduated with her degree in 1982, and afterwards moved to Söderhälla to study at Söderhälla University as an international student, receiving a master's degree in international affairs in 1984. She subsequently returned to Zhastany, and was hired as deputy director of communications at the office of the Mayor of Zhastany, later being elected to the municipal council as an independent in 1990. In 1996, Utiasheva became deputy director of trade and commerce at the Eurean Council, relocating to Duchenbourg City. She left the position in 2002, and later was hired as director-general of the Ministry of Social Development in Zhastany.

Utiasheva began her career in national politics in 2012, after she was nominated by Boris Gasharov to serve as Minister of Social Development in his cabinet. Upon assuming office, Utiasheva aligned herself with Zofa Kachunyeva and the centrist branch of Gasharov's government. After Kachunyeva's resignation from the government in December 2012, the press reported that Utiasheva was considering resigning as well, and she later did in May 2013. Following Kachunyeva's declaration of candidacy in the 2014 presidential election, Utiasheva joined the Alliance Party and endorsed Kachunyeva's candidacy. Following Kachunyeva's win in the election, Utiasheva was hired as her chief of staff. She left the position in 2015, after she was nominated to serve as Minister of Commerce in the Shafigulin cabinet.

In January 2016, Shafigulin's government became vulnerable after their coalition partners Liberal Borgizstan threatened to leave the coalition due to disagreements with Shafigulin's governing. In order to preserve the coalition, Kachunyeva sacked Shafigulin and appointed Utiasheva in his place as prime minister. This appointment made Utiasheva the first woman to serve as prime minister in Borgiz history, and additionally made Borgizstan the first nation to ever have both a female head of government and elected female head of state governing together. Her first cabinet was sworn in soon after. Utiasheva furthered the policy goals of Kachunyeva and the Alliance Party, supporting economic liberalism, secularism, and a strong working relationship with Kasha. After the 2019 presidential election, Utiasheva resigned as prime minister, and was replaced by Osman Dudrikyev. Since her resignation, she has been cited as a possible candidate for the Alliance Party in the 2024 presidential election, to succeed Kachunyeva.

## Early life and education

Utiasheva was born on 2 May 1960 in Zhastany to parents Arslan Utiashev (1933–2015) and Firüzä Grimatova (born 1935). Her father worked as a low-level government bureaucrat in Zhastany municipal government, while her mother was a secretary at an advertising firm. Utiasheva comes from an ethnic Borgiz background, and was raised as a Eurean Muslim speaking the Borgiz language. She is the youngest of three children and only daughter; her elder brothers are Gaziz, born  (1957-02-01) 1 February 1957 (age 66), and Ilyas, born  (1958-12-29) 29 December 1958 (age 65).

Utiasheva began her education in 1966, attending a local, public primary school in Zhastany. While in primary school, Utiasheva was a popular student and a successful gymnast. During her career in gymnastics, Utiasheva dreamed of competing in the Parth Summer Games, but left gymnastics after fracturing her collarbone in a failed stunt when she was 13. Utiasheva graduated from primary school in 1972, and subsequently enrolled in a public secondary school, graduating in 1978. Afterwards, she enrolled in the Faculty of Government and International Affairs at Zhastany State University, graduating with a degree in political science in 1982. After receiving her bachelor's degree, she moved to Söderhälla to enroll as an international student at Söderhälla University, graduating with a master's degree in international affairs in 1984.

In 2005, Utiasheva enrolled in a doctoral program at Zhastany State University, and later received her degree in 2015. She wrote her doctoral dissertation on trade agreements between post-Kashan Union states in the modern world.

## Political career

### Early politics

Utiasheva began her career in politics after completing her master's degree in 1984, when she was hired as deputy director of communications at the office of the Mayor of Zhastany. In the position, she worked underneath both Ramil Khidiatullin and Sabir Jalil, and later was promoted to director of communications by Jalil in 1988. In the communications department, Utiasheva was responsible for liaising between the mayor's office and the media. She left this position in 1990, after she was elected to the Zhastany municipal council in the 1990 local elections, as an independent politician.

In 1996, Utiasheva resigned from her position as a municipal councillor after she was hired as deputy director of trade and commerce at the Eurean Council in Duchenbourg City. In this position, Utiasheva deputized the director of trade and commerce, working closely with the Council and its member states in order to negotiate trade agreements and alliances between themselves, in addition to negotiating trade agreements between member states and non-member states. In 2002, she left the position and returned to Zhastany, where she was hired as director-general of the Ministry of Social Development. As director-general, Utiasheva was a nonpartisan figure who was responsible for day-to-day operations of the ministry.

### Ministerial positions

In June 2012, Utiasheva was nominated by Boris Gasharov to serve as Minister of Social Development in his cabinet, and she was later appointed by Chingiz Altundev to the position. As Minister of Social Development, Utiasheva was responsible for overseeing social affairs, welfare, religious affairs, culture, and children and family affairs. Upon entering the government, Utiasheva emerged as an ally of Zofa Kachunyeva in her increasing conflicts with Altundev. After Kachunyeva resigned from the government in December 2012, the Borgizstani press reported that Utiasheva was considering resigning after her; she later tendered her resignation in May 2013.

After tendering her resignation, Utiasheva briefly entered the private sector, working as a political consultant for the international consulting firm DGB Consulting. In January 2014, Kachunyeva declared her candidacy in the 2014 presidential election, and Utiasheva responded by officially registering with Kachunyeva's Alliance Party and publicly endorsing her candidacy. Utiasheva campaigned with Kachunyeva throughout the election, and after Kachunyeva's win, was hired by her to serve as her chief of staff. As chief of staff, Utiasheva was the most senior member of Kachunyeva's personal team, and all other presidential staff members reported to her. She was the first woman to ever serve as chief of staff to a Borgizstani president.

In March 2015, Utiasheva was nominated by Albert Shafigulin to serve as Minister of Commerce in his cabinet, and she later was appointed by Kachunyeva to the office. This made Utiasheva the first woman to ever serve as commerce minister in Borgizstani history. As commerce minister, Utiasheva was responsible for regulating external trade and promoting economic growth within Borgizstan. By June 2015, she was cited by the media as being a "senior cabinet official" and one of Kachunyeva's "closest allies and advisors."

### Prime minister

In January 2016, Shafigulin's government became vulnerable after disputes between himself and the Liberal Borgizstan political party began to arise. Liberal Borgizstan disagreed with Shafigulin's opposition to the adoption of new anti-discrimination laws that would protect against discrimination due to sexual orientation and gender identity. Liberal Borgizstan leader Azgar Xäbibullin threatened to pull his party out of the government, which would leave Shafigulin's government open to a vote of no confidence. In order to remedy the situation, Kachunyeva requested Shafigulin's resignation as prime minister, and nominated Utiasheva in his place. Utiasheva's nomination was accepted by parliament, and she was sworn in along with her first cabinet on 30 January 2016. After taking office, Utiasheva became the first woman to ever serve in the role, and Borgizstan additionally became the first nation to have a female head of government and elected female head of state governing together. After taking office, Utiasheva agreed to the anti-discrimination laws favored by Xäbibullin and Liberal Borgizstan, and the situation was nullified.

As prime minister, Utiasheva supported a political platform strongly reminiscent of the political platform of Kachunyeva, leading to critics referring to Utiasheva as a "Kachunyeva puppet." Among other ideologies, Utiasheva supported economic liberalism, secularism, and strengthening the nation's relationship with Kasha. Along with Kachunyeva and the Alliance Party, Utiasheva's support for Kasha has led to some criticism from other countries, and she has been accused of being a "Kashophile." After the 2019 parliamentary election, the Alliance Party increased their share of seats in the Council of Deputies, and Utiasheva formed her second cabinet.

In August 2019, Utiasheva publicly stated that she intended to resign from office following the 2019 presidential election, regardless of the election's outcome, as she wished to "pursue other interests." She nevertheless still campaigned for Kachunyeva's reelection bid, which ultimately proved victorious. She officially resigned as prime minister on 4 December 2019, and was replaced by Osman Dudrikyev.

## Post-politics

After resigning as prime minister in December 2019, Utiasheva reentered the private sector as a political consultant. She returned to her position at DGP Consulting until February 2020, when she founded her own international political consulting firm Utiasheva Consulting, which operates out of Zhastany. The firm primarily provides political consulting for individuals and governments in Eastern Eurea.

In May 2020, Utiasheva released the memoir *Byurokrat ķiza* (Borgiz: *Бюрократ қіза*; "Daughter of a bureaucrat"), which chronicled her upbringing, education, early political career, and tenure as prime minister. The book became a best-seller throughout Borgizstan, and also sold well in Kasha and Berat. Since announcing her resignation in December 2019, Utiasheva has been named as a top contender for the 2024 presidential election, to succeed Kachunyeva who is term-limited. Utiasheva has stated that she will "not rule out" a bid for the presidency in 2024.

## Personal life

Utiasheva began a relationship with Borgiz engineer Rinat Shabayev in 1985. They later became engaged in 1987, and married the following year. Utiasheva and Shabayev have two sons together: Kamil, born  (1991-11-30) 30 November 1991 (age 32), and Chingiz, born  (1993-08-17) 17 August 1993 (age 30). Kamil was a contestant on season eight of *The Bachelorette Kasha*, and later was selected as the lead on season fourteen of *The Bachelor Kasha*; Utiasheva, her husband, and their other son appeared in both seasons for select guest appearances. The family resided in Zhastany until 1996, then resided in Duchenbourg City until 2002, when they returned to Zhastany.

Utiasheva is fluent in Borgiz, Kashan, Ditrovian, and Maldonian, while she also has a relative degree of proficiency in Framish. She is a Eurean Muslim, although she is non-practicing.