Kazakhstan has embarked on large-scale reforms

[ad_1] In Strasbourg, the Parliamentary Meeting of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a written declaration entitled «Help for Kazakhstan’s Democratic Reforms and Regional Management». The doc is excessive well timed, given the actual scale of the home political reforms that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev continues.

Michael German

The initiator of the doc was British parliamentarian Michael German, a member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe. The Declaration was signed by 21 parliamentarians representing varied nations and political teams in PACE.

The Declaration extremely appreciates Kazakhstan's unwavering dedication to implementing large-scale democratic reforms, thereby strengthening the nation's standing as a regional chief in democratic governance, human rights safety, and the rule of legislation.

PACE members welcome the numerous steps taken by Kazakhstan's political management to advance democratic transformations, together with constitutional and legislative reforms and the abolition of the dying penalty.

Particular consideration is paid to cooperation between Kazakhstan and the Council of Europe in key areas, together with judicial reform, the combat towards corruption, the promotion of human rights and the strengthening of democratic establishments. This cooperation has led to tangible outcomes and strengthened Kazakhstan's position as a mannequin of democratic improvement within the area.

PACE members name for additional help for the continuing democratic transformations in Kazakhstan and the event of cooperation to advertise the widespread values of democracy, human rights and the rule of legislation.

Certainly, the adoption of this Declaration displays an necessary initiative of the Council of Europe in relation to Kazakhstan. Contemplating that the management of Kazakhstan, a big nation in Central Asia, has launched into massive–scale reforms.

So, on January 21, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev spoke on the Nationwide Kurultai, the place he introduced large-scale authorities reforms.

The Kurultai is an advisory physique created on the private initiative of President Tokayev, which goals to allow a variety of individuals to talk out on necessary coverage points.

Nonetheless, it's now being abolished.

In Kazakhstan, the identify Kurultai might be given to the unicameral parliament, which is able to exchange the 2 chambers of the present supreme legislative physique of the nation - the Majilis (decrease home) and the Senate (higher home) inside a yr.

In contrast to the present bicameral parliament, which has a complete of 148 deputies, the brand new legislative physique, the Kurultai, may have 145.

The working group on parliamentary reform got here to the variety of 145 deputy seats, having studied the proposals of varied residents. The variety of parliamentary committees within the Kurultai might be decreased to eight (at present there are eleven), the chairman of the parliament might be allowed to have three deputies, as an alternative of two for every speaker of each chambers of the still-functioning supreme legislative physique of the nation. Deputies of the unicameral Kurultai may also obtain the authority to type the Constitutional Court docket, the Supreme Audit Chamber and the Central Election Fee, whose composition continues to be being decided by the President of the nation and coordinated with the Senate.

The time period of workplace of deputies, who might be elected by the inhabitants for 5 years, can also be altering. Within the present parliament, deputies of the Mazhilis are elected in direct elections for 5 years, and senators in oblique elections by way of native consultant our bodies for six years. On the similar time, the elections to the Kurultai might be held solely in line with the proportional system based mostly on occasion lists. The minimal threshold is 5 %.

"Our important purpose is to create a very efficient {and professional} parliament. The brand new legislative physique ought to maximally help large-scale modifications within the nation from a legislative standpoint," Kassym-Jomart Tokayev confused.

Kazakhstan may have a Individuals's Council and a vice-president.

The consultative and advisory physique, the Meeting of the Individuals of Kazakhstan, created on the initiative of Nursultan Nazarbayev in 1995, which united the nationwide cultural facilities of 130 nationalities residing within the nation, can also be being abolished within the nation. In accordance with the present constitutional laws, 9 of its representatives, as an exception, have deputy mandates within the decrease home of the Parliament of Kazakhstan. There are 10 extra parliamentary seats within the Senate, which are sometimes occupied by representatives of varied nationalities in line with the presidential quota. Throughout his speech in Kyzylorda, President Tokayev introduced that there can be no extra quotas.

"In the course of the dialogue, I used to be requested to go away the president's quota in parliament. However I'm certain that the brand new parliament doesn't want anybody's tutelage or management. There needs to be no specifically appointed "elected individuals" among the many deputies. They should be elected in line with a single common process. Accordingly, the particular quota of the Meeting of Individuals of Kazakhstan may also be abolished," the Kazakh president stated.

As an alternative of the abolished Meeting of the Individuals of Kazakhstan and the Individuals's Kurultai, Tokayev initiated the creation of the Halyk Kenes (Individuals's Council). In line with him, this new advisory physique might be endowed with the correct of legislative initiative, and can meet at the least yearly. "The Individuals's Council will basically change into a brand new authorities physique that has absorbed the expertise of advisory constructions from different nations. All ethnic teams, inhabitants teams and areas might be represented in it. The Individuals's Council of Kazakhstan may have the standing of the nation's highest advisory physique. The composition of the Council is proposed to encompass 126 folks: 42 from ethnocultural associations, 42 from massive public associations, 42 from maslikhats (native consultant our bodies) and regional public councils," Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated, including that each one members of the Individuals's Council might be appointed by the president, and the chairman might be elected by its members.

One other necessary innovation introduced by the President of Kazakhstan, which considerations the nation's prime management and might be enshrined within the Structure, can also be necessary.

The submit of Secretary of State is abolished within the nation and after the referendum, the date of which has not but been decided, the institute of the Vice-President of the Republic of Kazakhstan is established. Tokayev famous that the president himself will appoint the vice chairman with the consent of the Kurultai by a easy majority vote.

It's assumed that the duties of the Vice President will embrace representing the nation's pursuits at worldwide boards and negotiations with overseas delegations, talking on behalf of the president in Parliament and interacting with socio-political, scientific, cultural and academic circles at house and overseas. As well as, the employees of the prevailing parliamentary constructions is predicted to be decreased and the presidential administration will bear deep reforms.

Professional opinion

Karlygash Jamankulova

Karlygash Jamankulova, head of the Kazakh Basis for the Safety of Freedom of Speech "Adil soz", a member of the working group on parliamentary reform, advised Deutsche Welle that Tokayev's theses on the upcoming constitutional reform point out a motion in direction of the actual constructing of a democratic society within the nation.

"Sadly, through the years, folks have change into accustomed to the truth that the federal government could be very opportunistic and modifications the Primary Legislation of the nation to swimsuit their wants. And when proposals seem that work for the strategic pursuits of the entire nation and your entire inhabitants, it is rather inspiring. I actually hope that all the things will work out, which I am desirous about. If this occurs, then President Tokayev will go down within the historical past of the nation because the founding father of democratic Kazakhstan, " the skilled stated.

In line with her, in his keynote deal with, the pinnacle of state took into consideration virtually all the desires that had been voiced throughout the discussions on the conferences of the working group. For instance, by way of the variety of deputies sooner or later unicameral parliament. "I feel he named probably the most optimum variety of deputies. My proposal was to go away 130 deputies within the area, and 145 deputies leaves an excellent proportion of representativeness, provided that the inhabitants of Kazakhstan could develop considerably. That is really one consultant per 100,000 voters," Karlygash Jamankulova stated in an interview with DW.

On this regard, PACE helps the reforms which have begun below the management of President Ok.Tokayeva is well timed and helpful for the bilateral relations between Kazakhstan and Central Asia.