Astana, Feb 10 (EFE).- Kazakhstan, the largest country in Central Asia, aims to transition this year from a super-presidential republic to one with a more influential parliament, the nation’s leader, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, said Tuesday.
According to Tokayev, the transition will be possible after the approval of a new constitution in a national referendum scheduled for this year.
“Kazakhstan, which has entered a period of profound transformation, requires constitutional reform… In reality, we are talking about creating a new system of state governance that improves the efficiency and sustainability of all political institutions,” Tokayev said at an expanded meeting of the Kazakh government.
He added that for six months, there has been a broad debate in Kazakh society about the new wording and provisions in the constitution.
Constitutional commission
To organize all the submitted proposals, a constitutional commission composed of 130 members, none of whom are foreigners, was created, the Kazakh government said.
In January of this year, the first draft of the new Fundamental Law was published, in line with Tokayev’s announced concept of a “strong president, an influential parliament, and a responsible government.”
“An overview of the political reforms of recent years shows us that Kazakhstan is finally abandoning the super-presidential form of government and moving towards a presidential republic with a parliament that is authoritative and influential,” the president said.
He added that the adoption of the new constitution was influenced by fundamental geopolitical, geoeconomic, and technological changes taking place.
“In recent years, Kazakhstan has also undergone significant changes that have impacted national identity. One could even say that they have caused profound upheavals,” Tokayev said.
Experts emphasized the importance of avoiding the concentration of power to ensure the democratic path of a state, and the delegation of powers to the Kazakh Republic’s parliament could be an important step in consolidating Kazakhstan’s democratization. EFE