ASTANA – With Kazakhstan’s first Kurultai election concluded and the new unicameral Parliament set to convene for its inaugural session tomorrow, attention now turns to the institutional changes and key appointments that will shape the next phase of the country’s political transition.
The Kurultai, named after gatherings when Turkic and Mongol tribes used to make major decisions, will have its first session on Aug. 28. As in every other year, the first session is opened and chaired by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Zhandos Aktayev. Photo credit: Aktayev’s personal archive “The political and institutional steps are clearly set out in law.
The next stage will begin with the opening of Kurultai’s inaugural session, where the newly elected deputies will take the oath of office,” Zhandos Aktayev, chairman of the Esti Bol Qory public foundation and doctor in law, told The Astana Times. The inaugural session will formally activate the political system established under the country’s new Constitution that took effect July 1.
The Central Election Commission registered the 145 members of Kurultai on Aug. 27. Deputies will take their oaths, elect Kurultai’s leadership and begin a process that will include the formation of a new government, the appointment of a vice president and the establishment of the People’s Council.
Under the new Constitution, the 145-seat Kurultai serves as Kazakhstan’s sole legislative chamber, where members serve a five year term. It passes laws, approves the president’s nominees for vice president and prime minister, oversees the government and national budget, authorizes certain senior judicial and state appointments, and decides on matters including war, peace, referendums and presidential elections.
It may also hold government members to account and pass a vote of no confidence in the government. “The election of the new Kurultai marks a continuation of Kazakhstan’s political reforms, meaning its decisions and use of its newly defined powers will face close scrutiny.
The members of this first convocation will be remembered for their role in shaping a new political culture and advancing public policymaking in Kazakhstan,” Aktayev said. Under the Constitution, Kurultai’s first order of business will be to elect its chair from among the 145 deputies.
The President nominates a candidate, who must be fluent in Kazakh and secure an absolute majority in a secret ballot. Once elected, the chair will nominate three deputy chairs, who must also be approved by a majority of all Kurultai members. Aktayev said the first session of Kurultai will be followed by the formation of the Kazakhstan People’s Council, a new supreme constitutional advisory body that replaced the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan.
“The council will have the authority to submit legislation to the Kurultai, initiate national referendums and serve as a platform for dialogue between the state and civil society,” he added. The opening of the first session will also set the government formation process in motion.
The government has to resign its powers before the new chamber. The President will submit a nominee for prime minister following consultations with the political party factions represented in the Kurultai.