Belarusian president continues to reshuffle senior staff, including prominent manager Semen Shapiro

Semen Shapiro was relieved of duty as Chairman of the Minsk Oblast Executive Committee due to the transfer to another job, and a few days before that decision, he was appointed to chair the Hockey Federation. Semen Shapiro is one of the prominent and successful managers in the presidential vertical, he has a vast experience in the state apparatus and has earned the president’s confidence. Previously, he headed the Grodno Oblast Executive Committee and the Ministry of Agriculture and Foodstuffs. Semen Shapiro is considered as one of the most likely candidates for the Prime Minister post, albeit he might be a way too strong player in the president’s environment. Shapiro’s dismissal has not come with any public complaints about his activity as the Head of the Minsk Oblast Executive Committee. It should be noted that Great Stone Sino-Belarusian industrial park is located in the Minsk Oblast and after the president’s visit to Beijing, he is likely to be expecting a significant increase in Chinese investments and loans. Most likely, the president is conducting his conventional personnel policy – rotates senior managers in order to keep them from forming stable nomenclature groups with own business interests.