The role of the Kazakh parliament could be considerably strengthened in the near future, the draft law 'On amendments and additions to the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan', which was published today and presented for public discussion, says.
If earlier the government was responsible for its activities to the President and only in some cases to the Majilis (the lower chamber of parliament), but now it will be accountable for its actions to the president and parliament on a permanent basis, TASS reports.
Also, according to the amendments, the government will resign after the elections to the Majilis, not after the presidential elections. Proposals for the formation of the composition of the government will be made by the Prime Minister.
Under the bill, the President can no longer independently approve state programs, issue laws and decrees, having the force of law. Earlier, the Parliament could delegate the right to adopt laws independently to the President.
A procedure of resigning of the Government's members on the request of parliamentarians will be also eased.
Yesterday, the Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said in a brief televised address that he will delegate some of his powers to the nation's parliament and cabinet, a move that could facilitate an eventual political transition.
Nazarbayev said proposed constitutional reforms would allow parliament to form the cabinet which would have more powers to manage the economy. Following the reform, the president will focus on strategic matters, foreign policy and national security and will serve as an arbiter between the branches of power. The regulation of socio-economic processes will be transferred to the government.
The head of the Central Asia Department of the CIS Institute, Andrei Grozin, speaking with a correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that the new draft Constitution will allow to protect the political system of Kazakhstan in the case of force majeure events. "Today's world is changing very rapidly, geopolitical turbulence is high," he said, adding that the transfer of presidential powers to the parliament is due to the lack of politicians who are able to replace Nazarbayev.
"The next president will not be comparable to the current president. The whole political system in Kazakhstan is tuned for a great leader. In order to avoid mutual discontent, it was decided to give more authority to the parliament. It is necessary to create a system, when not so much in the country will depend on a particular person, as it is now, due to which they proposed a presidential-parliamentary type of republic," Andrei Grozin explained.
Grozin stressed that Nazarbayev wants that there will be no conflicts in the country, but his legacy will be remained. "Kazakh President's current actions are aimed to prevent social unrest, economic difficulties and other problems. As Nazarbayev said yesterday, the president will be the referee in charge of foreign policy and affecting the power unit. This reduction of powers is necessary for the republic, because now the President is responsible for everything," the head of the Central Asia Department of the CIS Institute concluded.
