ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s domestic policy should focus on constitutional values, a new public ethic and an orientation toward the future, Vice President Erlan Karin said in a Telegram post on Sept. 16, outlining three key priorities for the country’s domestic policy.
Vice President Erlan Karin. Photo credit: Akorda The first priority is constitutional values, which form the foundation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s strategic reform agenda. These include the rule of law and order, national unity, interethnic and interfaith harmony, the values of culture and education, science and innovation, hard work and progress, environmental responsibility, and responsible and constructive patriotism.
Karin said relevant government bodies should focus on consistently implementing the Presidential Decree on Approving the Basic Principles, Values and Directions of the Domestic Policy and the Action Plan for promoting the Constitution. “Systematic expert and methodological, informational, cultural and educational work is needed to explain the key provisions of the Constitution and promote constitutional values,” Karin said.
The second priority is a new public ethic. “It is about embedding progressive norms and patterns of behavior in society, strengthening our own value foundation, countering the archaization of public life and attempts to replace historical facts,” Karin said. He also emphasized the need to implement the Law and Order principle in practice, as well as the Taza Qazaqstan (Clean Kazakhstan) project and the Adal Azamat (Honest Citizen) education program.
“New approaches and formats of work are needed. In particular, the President’s Taza Qazaqstan initiative should be scaled up through the creation of a unified digital platform, the introduction of a national cleanliness standard and a regional cleanliness ranking,” he said.
The third priority is an orientation toward the future, focusing on developing human capital through science and education, innovation and technology, culture and public enlightenment. According to Karin, strategic documents initiated by President Tokayev set the conceptual direction.
The main goal is to build a strong state and a progressive society that looks to the future with optimism. Summing up the three priorities, Karin linked them to the broader question of what kind of society Kazakhstan is building. “All three priorities answer the main question: what kind of society are we building and what kind of country will we live in.
To achieve this, we need to follow a constructive agenda and constitutional values,” he concluded.