Kazakhstan Parliamentary elections set on January 15, 2012

TANA. November 25. KAZINFORN On 16th November 2011, President Nazarbayev accepted a petition of 53 Majilis Deputies to dissolve parliament and set elections for January 15, 2012. The elections, for both the Majilis (lower house of parliament) and Maslikhats (local bodies), were last held in 2007.

Kazakhstan's Elections - New Important Step Forward

The elections will usher in a new era for Kazakhstan and represent another step forward in our young nation's political development.

We are a young country, but have made remarkable economic and political progress in the 20 years since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Every election has represented a step forward for our nation, and an improvement in our political system, the News Bulletin of the Kazakh Embassy to the US reads.

With this election, we will strengthen democratic pluralism. As a result of changes to our Constitution, we are guaranteed to have a second party in Parliament, whatever their share of the vote. We believe that this will increase debate and the competition of ideas, which will strengthen our Parliament and our political system as a whole.

We understand that democracy in our nation is still a work in progress, and we do not pretend that our current system is perfect. But we are moving steadily in the right direction.

Our goal is not to create a political system that is a carbon copy of governments in other countries. Rather, we are creating a democratic government that is responsive to the unique needs of the people of Kazakhstan. But we welcome the engagement of the international community - and in particular, from older, more established democracies - as we continue to develop our democratic government in Kazakhstan.

Elections of a new, strengthened parliament will leave us well placed to focus on the challenges ahead and continue Kazakhstan's remarkable development

Despite increasing fears of a second global financial crisis, Kazakhstan is determined to press on with its economic and political development. The elections will introduce a more diverse parliament early in the year, creating a healthier and more robust political system ready to face the challenges ahead.

Holding the election now will allow state agencies, the Government and the Parliament to focus their efforts in 2012 on anti-crisis measures and maintaining Kazakhstan's remarkable economic success. This is the immediate concern of the Government and the people. But it will also represent another step in our democratic development, which will ensure Kazakhstan's long term stability and prosperity.

Kazakhstan has a bold vision for economic and political progress and a track record of delivering for its people

When Kazakhstan gained its independence from the Soviet Union and communism twenty years ago, the urgent need was for jobs and economic development. We needed to provide a future for our people. We have done that. Kazakhstan is now - according to the World Bank - no longer a developing nation, but a middle-income nation, and as a result our citizens have become "stakeholders" in their country and its future. We have built schools, universities, hospitals, highways, and even a new capital city, Astana.

We will celebrate our 20^th anniversary on 16^th December and will, of course, look back with pride on what we have achieved, but we must also look to the future. We have studied democracies around the world and we have seen that they work best in nations that have a strong and thriving middle class, and an educated population. We didn't have that in 1991, but we do now and these elections represent another step forward in our political development, guaranteeing a more plural political system.

Kazakhstan Election Fact Sheet

Majilis Elections

• On 15^th and 16^th January 2012, the people of Kazakhstan will vote in the country's elections for Majilis, the Lower House of the Parliament.

• 107 deputies of the Majilis will be elected in two stages:
  • On 15^th January, political parties will compete for the 98 seats decided by a general vote. At the time of the calling of elections, there were eight registered political parties eligible to participate.
  • On 16^th January, 9 deputies will be elected by the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan, a national body established to represent the diverse ethnic groups across the country.
• In 2007, 337 members of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan participated in the elections of deputies from the Assembly.
• The parliamentary elections are the first to be held since a 2009 amendment to the constitutional law on elections, which guarantees seats to the second placed party, even if they do not reach the 7 percent threshold set for entrance into the Majilis.

Maslikhats Elections

• Alongside the Majilis Elections on 15^th January, the people of Kazakhstan will vote on 3,335 seats for the Maslikhats.
• Maslikhats are legislative bodies responsible for representing the local population's interests to Akims (regional governors), and the effective implementation of Government policies in their constituencies.
• Any Kazakh citizen over the age of 20 with the right to vote can register themselves as a candidate for the Maslikhats.
• Holding the elections for the Maslikhats on the same day as elections for the Majilis should increase turnout for both.

For full version go to http://www.kazakhembus.com/