83) Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan 1993, 1995. Formation of new Kazakh statehood (constitutional reform of 2007)
Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 1993.
The first Constitution of independent Kazakhstan was adopted at the 9th Session of Kazakhstan Supreme Soviet on January 28, 1993. As to structure, it consisted of preamble, 4 sections, 21 chapters, and 131 articles. The Constitution involved most legal norms that had been adopted since Kazakhstan’s gaining sovereignty: people’s sovereignty; independence of state; separation of powers; recognition of Kazakh language as state one; recognition of President as Head of State, of Supreme, Constitutional and Supreme Arbitration Courts, etc. Parliamentary republic model was taken as a basis for Constitution of 1993.
Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 1995.
The working Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan was adopted on August 30, 1995 by the Republic-wide Referendum. This day is a public holiday – the Republic of Kazakhstan Constitution Day. In 1998 and 2007, considerable amendments were made in Constitution which enlarged President’s powers.
2007 amendment to the Constitution of Kazakhstan
The 2007 amendment to the Constitution of Kazakhstan modified Kazakhstan's basic law, on May 18, 2007. The changes followed the conclusion of the activities of the 'State Commission on Democratization' formed two years previously.
In a speech on May 16 to the Joint Session of the Chambers of Parliament, President Nursultan Nazarbayev summarized the development of Kazakhstan since independence in 1991, and outlined his proposed constitutional changes.
The main changes proposed by the President were as follows:
The reduction of the presidential term from 7-years to 5-years, coming into effect after the next election in 2012
To adopt proportional representation for the Majilis, or lower Chamber of deputies
To increase the number of senators selected by the President, from 7 to 15
To give to the Senate the power of consultation on the appointment of a President of the National Bank
To increase the number of Majilis deputies to 107 - 98 deputies elected by proportional representation and 9 deputies representing the Assembly of the Peoples' of Kazakhstan. The total number of the parliamentary deputies will therefore increase by 38 and will amount to 154
To strengthen the powers of political parties by depriving members of the Majilis of their mandate in the event that they are expelled from their party
To make the government accountable not only to the Head of State, but to the whole Parliament; by giving the Government a vote of no-confidence. It will be sufficient for the Majilis to have a simple majority of deputies' votes compared with the previously required two thirds of votes, in order to dismiss the government
To change, the procedure for forming the Constitutional Council and the Central Election Commission. This will occur via the introduction of a law whereby two thirds of the Constitutional Council, the Central Election Commission and Auditing Committee will be formed by Parliament
To change the procedure of forming the Government, where the Prime Minister is appointed by the President, so that the approval of such appointments, and consequently that of the entire Government, is delegated to the Majilis
To introduce a change whereby the composition of the Government shall be formed according to the proposals of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister will also represent the parliamentary majority party
To abolish the constitutional prohibition of state funding of NGO's
To develop a procedure for the partial funding of political parties from the state budget
To abolish the death penalty in Kazakhstan.
In addition to these proposals the Kazakh parliament passed an additional amendment two days later, lifting the term-limit clause on the first President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, in a move some say paved the way for him to become de facto President for life.
84) Essence, contents and meaning of social-economic modernization of Kazakhstan (1991-2008)
Goals and Objectives of the programme The main content phase out and consolidate the Republic of Kazakhstan on a trajectory of sustainable development will become a production-technological and socio-economic modernization of the country, which would create the basis for building a modern post-industrial society with a relatively high level of welfare and social security, with a substantial proportion of the population of middle class, with effective multi-national economies. The main objective of the programme is to the fullest extent possible under existing restrictions meet the objective of material and spiritual needs of every citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan, in creating the conditions for full self-realization of its potential. To achieve this goal, proposed a set of interrelated and vzaimouvya ¬ related to each other targeted measures to modernize as socio-economic ¬ Urban areas and socio-political system, aimed at establishing an effective social-oriented national economy and the formation of a full-fledged civil society. In accordance with the primary objective of the programme on economic modernization provides the following objectives of socio-economic modernization of society: 1. Overcoming poverty and the creation of middle class is not less than 50-60% of the total population. 2. Creating the necessary conditions for improving the quality of human capital required under the post-industrial society. 3. Creating conditions for diversifying the economy, overcoming one-sided focus on commodity-based qualitative modernization of the productive apparatus of the processing industry and development of new industries. 4. Strengthening the role of the state in the formation of a competitive national economy that is able to provide occupation Kazakhstan worthy place among developed countries in the world. 5. The maximum mobilization of domestic savings for investment sources of economic transformation. 6. The development of industrial and social infrastructure to ensure the sustainability of development.
85) Many vector nature of foreign policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan (1991-2008)
Since gaining independence, Kazakhstan has reached the international arena as a sovereign state. 3 March 1992 addressed to the UN SC, became a member of the International Monetary Fund, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the World Bank, the International Development Association, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes, the World Health Organization and numerous other organizations. More than one hundred countries have recognized our state, many of them ustavleny diplomatic relations at the level of embassies and missions. Foreign policy in the republic is to maintain friendly relations on the principles of mutual trust with certain States, including the CIS, as well as the development of extensive relations with all other countries on the basis of justice and international partnership. Kazakhstan has friendly relationships with its powerful neighbors: Russia and China. This friendship is sustained by the common economic agreement between the countries that created the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation in 2001, one of the most powerful economic unions in the world. It brings together six countries: Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Kazakhstan also helps maintain stability in the whole Central Asian region. In 2010 Kazakhstan became the head of Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, showing that Kazakhstan is a part of both Europe and Asia and can help bring these two regions together.
86) Reforms of political system of the Republic of Kazakhstan (1991-2008)
Immediately after the announcement of December 16, 1991 State Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan, has begun the process of forming a new political system. March 3, 1992. Republic became a member of the UN, later joined by other international organizations. At the same time, developed and national symbols. 4 June 1992 were approved by the State coat of arms and flag of Kazakhstan, December 11 - ¬ tions of the State Anthem. Steps have been taken to separate the functions of law ¬ dative and the executive, started work on parliamentary reform and the transformation of local authorities. In January of 1993. Constitution was adopted in Kazakhstan. 30 August 1995 he was prineta second Konst ¬ tutsiya. In which the supreme legislative power was transferred to a bicameral parliament consisting of the Senate and Majilis. April 29, 1995 in the republic's referendum, to extend the term of President Nazarbayev to 1 December 2000 In 1997 an important event in the life of Kazakhstan - Transfer of the capital to Astana, which was prompted by a number of eco ¬ cal and political reasons of strategic importance. The deterioration in macroeconomic performance and the threat of a new cycle of crisis, led the President took the unprecedented move - has announced the addition of urgency to assume the powers and new elections. Last January 10, 1999 elections showed that most of the people of Kazakhstan supports the current policy of the Head of State and the course of reform. For the first time in the history of Kazakhstan's presidential elections were held on a competitive basis.
87) International (inter-ethnic) relations in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Role of Assembly of the peoples of Kazakhstan in strengthening of interethnic harmony
In 1996, a Assembly of Peoples of Kazakhstan - a unique institution of achieving inter-ethnic harmony. During this time, it was almost business confirmed its importance as a political and ethnic factors in the stabilization of society. Made a significant contribution to the revival and development of folk culture of the country, markedly enhance the work of national cultural centers. Became popular Nauryz Meiram, festivals Korean, German culture, Tatar Sabantui the first time at the national level were held in shape - Holidays Dungans and Kurds. Incidentally, the word «first» begins with the World Uighur Youth Festival held in late October 1996 in Almaty, Republican Festival of German children's creativity, organizing in Akmola, «The Book of folk memory», tells about the life of the Turks in Kazakhstan, and much more. The cultural life of ethnic groups has become saturated, the initiatives of national-cultural centers almost everywhere is supported government structures. In Pavlodar, Semipalatinsk, Zhambyle, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Petropavlovsk, Kokshetau and other cities for small assemblies, national cultural centers are building. The Assembly became the center of the organizational work with the Diaspora. Thanks to make public the status of its working bodies of the problems of national and cultural centers are addressed promptly, some of them in decisions at the governmental level. Assembly of a body of people's diplomacy. And this is not the only communication with the embassy in Almaty, but also different with the historic birthplace of diasporas. Thanks to these efforts to increase the number of students - Kazakhstanis in Russia and Belarus, in the capital area allotted for construction of new buildings the Korean theater. With the help of the National Assembly of the diaspora to rebuild their historic homeland. For example, the recently created organization «Kazakhstan-Ukraine», begins its work the society of friendship and cooperation between Kazakhstan and Russia. The Assembly took part in a number of international relations, and is an organizer of an international conference on harmonization of interethnic relations in the newly independent states. In our country, implemented a unique idea for the Assembly to send a quota in higher educational institutions of national minorities. The Assembly has become a co-founder of the Republican journals «Akikat» and «idea».
88) Main priorities of the strategy "Kazakhstan-2030"
In 1997, the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev has written a message to the people. In that message, the President appealed to the people and aims at the establishment in 2030, in K. democratic rule of law. The main task - prosperity, security and prosperity of all Kazakhs. The President reviewed the current situation and calculated what we could achieve by 2030. In this book, the president stressed that we have everything necessary to achieve this. Nursultan Nazarbayev: "We can take 3 major opportunities for Kazakhstan. 1st stems from our geographical position at the crossroads in the Eurasian region. 2 Support from foreign governments and donor organizatsiy.3 process of globalization and scientific and technical process, especially in the development of new information and telecommunication technologies. All above stated is written that we have today, can not be said about the long-term priorities that were identified in the message to the people. There are 7. 1 National security. 2 The internal political stability and consolidation of society. 3 Economic growth, based on an open market economy with a high level of foreign investment and domestic savings. 4 Health, education and welfare of the citizens of Kazakhstan. 5 Energy. 6 infrastructure particularly transport and communications. 7 Professional state. These long-term priorities should serve to focus the state and our citizens become the main criterion for the formation of the country's budget and personnel policies. In the end I want to write a Kazakh folk proverb which says «By quickly reaching the dust does not stick». Therefore, I believe that the time to judge us, and the way осилит going. "
***PROSPERITY, SECURITY AND EVER GROWING WELFARE OF ALL THE KAZAKHSTANIS
Kazakhstan, as a new state, emerged in the world in the epoch which saw the end of many a powerful empire: Ottoman one, Austrian-and-Hungarian one and, only recently, the Soviet Union.
Today we are building a new state, a new market economy and a new democracy, and this - at the very time when many other independent states have already trodden that path similar enough.
Today we live in an epoch of ever growing globalisation and ever-close interrelationships when powerful outer forces would inevitably play a pretty substantial role in determining our future.
If we are serious and clever enough in our intentions, if we are capable of honest analysis of both external and internal factors of our development, then we do have a chance of choosing the right way: to identify priorities and elaborate the relevant strategy on the basis of our general consolidation, on the basis of our history and unique circumstances.
What is Kazakhstan of 2030 the way I visualise it? Our young state would grow up and reach its manhood and with it our children and grandchildren would also become grown up people. They would be responsible and enthusiastic representatives of their generation, would be in the prime of their life. They would be well educated and healthy. They would be prepared to work in conditions of modern market economy sticking though to the traditions of their forefathers. They would have an equally good command of the Kazakh, Russian and English languages. They would be patriots of their peaceful, prosperous, rapidly growing country well-known and respected all over world.
Our children would become highly skilled workers and farmers, engineers, bankers, men-of-arts, owners of shops, teachers and doctors, owners of plants and factories, stock brokers and sportsmen. They would produce oil, gas, and electric power, manufacture various food items and supply all these to the world economy.
3. LONG-TERM PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIES OF REALISATION THEREOF
For our country to achieve the prospects I mentioned above we have to implement the following long-term priorities:
1. NATIONAL SECURITY: Ensure development of Kazakhstan as an independent sovereign state preserving its complete territorial integrity.
2. DOMESTIC POLITICAL STABILITY AND CONSOLIDATION OF THE SOCIETY: Safeguard and strengthen domestic political stability and national unity. It would enable Kazakhstan put the national strategy into practice in the course of the current and the upcoming decade.
3. ECONOMIC GROWTH BASED ON AN OPEN MARKET ECONOMY WITH HIGH LEVEL OF FOREIGN INVESTMENTS AND INTERNAL SAVINGS. Gain realistic, stable and steadily growing rates of economic growth.
4. HEALTH, EDUCATION AND WELL-BEING OF KAZAKHSTAN CITIZENS: Consistently improve standards of life, health, education and opportunities of the Kazakhstanis. Improve natural environment in the country.
5. POWER RESOURCES: Effectively utilise power resources of Kazakhstan through rapid increase in extracting and exporting oil and gas with the aim of gaining revenues which would enhance stable economic growth and improvement of living standards of the people.
6. INFRASTRUCTURE, MORE PARTICULARLY TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION: Develop these key sectors in such a way that they add to strengthening of national security, political stability and economic growth.
7. PROFESSIONAL STATE: Establish an effective and up-to-date corps of civil servants and state-owned formations of Kazakhstan loyal to the cause they serve to and capable of acting as representatives of the people in achieving our priorities.
For each of these long-term priorities we must elaborate and consistently implement a special strategy concentrating our efforts on specific actions outlined in one-year, three-year and, finally, five-year plans.
These long-term priorities must serve the purpose of focusing the efforts exerted by both the state and our citizens; they must make the basis of criteria in forming the budget of the country and personnel policy.
**A great number of sceptics will consider these plans unreal due to a number of difficulties facing us. Some people will consider our mission and strategy as an idle talk. Others will say that Central-Asians, in particular Kazakhstanis, are not able to become "real" Snow Leopards.
As a Kazakh saying has it: "Dust doesn't stick to a quickly walking person". Thus, time will put everything on its proper place, and he who walks will cover any distance.
89) Main ideas of the Message of the President of RK to the people of Kazakhstan (2010).
Every year in January, the President of Kazakhstan adresses the nation at the joint session of the Parliament. This year’s message was presented on January, 29. Its name was “New Decade – New Economic Growth, New Opportunities of Kazakhstan”. This address had several main ideas. The first and foremost of them was encouraging small and medium businesses. In order to do this President charged the Government to create a common budget program. Its funds will be used to subsidize interest rates, grant loans, provide service support to businesses and etc. This program, as suggested by N.Nazarbayev, will be called “Kazakhstan Business Road Map 2020”. Encouraging businesses and entrepreneurs will also help create permanent jobs. Another idea of the Message is state-private partnership in the form of legislation amendments and special project organizations. All this will create necessary conditions in Kazakhstan for attraction of foreign investors. By 2020, acoording to our President, Kazakhstan should have one of the most favorable business climates, with small and medium businesses taking 40% of the GDP.
90) Kazakhstan and the economic crisis
The financial crisis that began in the United States has made its presence felt around the globe and Central Asia is no exception. How is Central Asia's greatest economic power, Kazakhstan, handling this economic crisis and how is the economic downturn effecting the stability, security, and development of the region. These were the main topics of a conference between many regional experts in Astana last month called “New Challenges and Kazakhstan's Contribution to Stability and Security.”
Muriel Mirak-Weissbach, a scholar of the region's economic and strategic outlook attended the conference and not only summarizes the major issues and policies discussed, but also provides a historical perspective of past economic crisis's in Kazakhstan. Nurbakh Rustemov, the keynote speaker and Chairman of the hosting parliamentary committee, had to say of the economic downturn and its consequences. He bluntly stated that the world financial crisis was leading to a “misunderstanding” among geopolitical forces, and carried the danger of a direct threat to humanity, through hunger and poverty.He called for uniting forces internationally, to overcome the financial-economic crisis, which he dubbed the “number one priority.” Rustemov mentioned the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, of which Kazakhstan is a founding member, as well as the OSCE, which Kazakhstan will chair beginning 2010, as bodies his government would like to utilize to find solutions to the crisis. Two concrete means that his country could use to impact the crisis, would be in securing energy resources, and providing grain and meat exports to alleviate food shortages.
Rustemov is correct in stating that this economic crisis may lead to following and connected geopolitical disruptions and he's also right in arguing that regional and multilateral groups, such as the SCO and OSCE, will be crucial in helping the world get through this mess in one stable piece. Another important aspect of his comments is the positive role Kazakhstan can play in impacting the crisis in a productive way and that is in securing energy resources and in providing food stuffs to alleviate shortages in other countries, specifically in harder hit CA states, such as Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan.
Kazakhstan's abundance of energy supplies, combined with President Nazarbayev's prudent planning, have left the nation in good condition despite the tough times. Nazarbayev announced last month that the government would spend $2 billion to stimulate the economy, mainly targeting banks and the construction industry, funds drawn from the nation's oil fund. Unfortunately, not all CA or world states have an oil fund to fall back on.
What the whole of Central Asia can hope for is sturdy economic stewardship by its regional leader, Kazakhstan, and help from regional bodies, both from the East and West to weather what will most likely be a lengthy recession. During this time, it will be vital to keep the region from falling into disrepair as poverty and extremism would both be on the rise and this may lead to conflict. The US, Russia, China, and the EU all have roles to play in mitigating negative ramifications of this crisis in the region, but a strong and active Kazakhstan is crucial. As Muriel Mirak-Weissbach concluded that Kazakhstan has become the foremost interlocutor in Central Asia, not only for Eurasian giants Russia and China, but also for the two major economies of western Europe, Germany and France. If the current world crisis can be overcome through participation of major Eurasian nations, Kazakhstan can become the linchpin in the region for stability and security.
89)On January 1, 2010 the Republic of Kazakhstan became the first post-Soviet state to chair the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the twentieth Chair-in-Office since the establishment of this position in 1991. Kazakhstan’s Chairmanship of this authoritative international organization is of great importance and is a crucial event both for our state and for the Organization itself. It is difficult to overestimate the role of the news media today, especially in countries building democracy, such as Kazakhstan. This importance also increases during Kazakhstan’s Chairmanship in the OSCE. Qualitative professional approach by the news media is needed to promote wide coverage, objective supply of information to local and international communities concerning the processes in Kazakhstan and the OSCE area. The competition aims at: 1)informing the public about the role and principles of the OSCE, its priorities in the sphere of ensuring stability and security in the world; 2) increasing the motivation of Kazakhstan’s news media to highlight the processes at the national and international levels; 3) identifying professional journalists and promoting their intentions to cooperate actively with the civil society, highlighting the important aspects of society and state, as well as the activities within the framework of Kazakhstan’s OSCE Chairmanship..A conference on Kazakhstan's Chairmanship in the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) was held in Almaty on 25th of March, 2011. It was 38th session of the foreign ministers council of the OIC member states. Major attention during chairmanshipwas focused on trade and economic relationships between the OIC member-states.As per Dulat Bakishev, ambassador at large of Kazakhstan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, OIC is extending an active support to Kazakhstan’s initiatives.According to him, it is important not only to resolve the existing conflicts but also to anticipate and prevent the new ones from happening.Sultan Akimbekov, Director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics, said that Kazakhstan will be chairing the organization during tough times when conflicts are raging in Egypt and Libya.Kazakhstan chairmanship in the OIC was mutually beneficial for both parties. As per Bakishev, it will help Kazakhstan deepen its economic and political relationships with the Islamic world.