Presidential statement on holding early elections to Majilis and maslikhats
«According to the Constitution, I signed decrees on dissolution of the Majilis and early termination of powers of maslikhats after holding consultations with the chairmen of both chambers and the Prime minister,» reads the statement.
The President thanked the deputies for active and productive work, noting that they were at the epicenter of the held large-scale reforms, held regular meetings with constituents, made visits to the most remote areas, set the tone for public discussions raising vital issues.
He expressed hope that newly elected deputies will continue working in the same format and give new impetus to all-round modernization of the country.
Kazakhstan is to hold early elections of Majilis deputies on 19 March this year. Date for elections of deputies of maslikhats is to be set by the Central Election Commission.
Holding elections to the Majilis and maslikhats in the first half of this year was publicly suggested by Tokayev in his state-of-the-nation address September last year.
In his statement, the Kazakh President said that the holding of early elections to the Majilis and maslikhats was dictated by the logic of the constitutional reform supported by the citizens in the national referendum, following which the country adopted the new, more just, and competitive rules for forming a representative branch of power.
70% of Majilis deputies are to be elected by party lists, and another 30% in single-mandate constituencies. Elections to maslikhats of regions and cities of republican significance will be held using a mixed election system of 50/50. Candidates for maslikhats of districts and cities of regional significance will be elected only in single-mandate constituencies.
As part of the constitutional reform’s realization, the registration of political parties was significantly simplified, with the registration threshold reduced four times from 20 to five thousand members and the minimum size of parties’ regional offices lowered to 200 people. The measures led to the registration of several new political parties for the first time in the country.
Decision adopted earlier to introduce the option ‘against all’ on ballots was a major step forward. Lowering the bar from 7 to 5% for parties to enter the Majilis was a serious step towards democratization of the country. Another important innovation in ensuring inclusiveness of the election process was the legal implementation of a quota of 30 per cent for women, youth, and persons with special needs in the allocation of deputy mandates.
Elections to the Majilis and maslikhats are set to conclude a reset of state institutions and gives tangible content to the ‘strong President – influential Parliament – accountable Government’ formula, the Kazakh President noted in his statement.
Photo: akorda.kz