Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev opened on October 14 the first session of the newly-established working group for the upcoming parliamentary reform.
During his Address to the Nation last month, Tokayev proposed to transform the legislative branch into a single-chamber assembly, essentially doing away with the Senate.
Tokayev said this decision is in line with international trends: “Two-thirds of the world’s parliaments are unicameral,” he said, adding that the initiative is “an innovative political solution.”
Now Listen
The opening session of the working group marks the start of a process that Tokayev envisioned to be at least a year long, during which time the proposed changes will undergo revision from both the expert community and the public.
“Such an important step must be taken only through broad discussion. Kazakhstan is a Listening and Fair State. This is our unwavering principle,” Tokayev said.
Tokayev also listed another of the key principles guiding these reforms: “Strong President, Influential Parliament, Accountable Government.” That is, the presidential form of government will remain untouched.
The reform, however, will affect around 40 articles of the Constitution and will therefore be finally adopted via referendum, which is expected to be held in 2027, one year prior to the next scheduled election of the Majilis, the lower chamber.
Tokayev said this reform “fits into the very logic of a phased, large-scale political modernization,” which on paper had expanded the powers of the Majilis after the constitutional reform approved by referendum in 2022.
Photo by Daniyar Mussirov.
E-verything
In his opening speech, Tokayev continued on his campaign to further digitalize the country’s institutions.
“A number of countries are already testing elements of an ‘electronic (or digital) parliament,’ designed to ensure new forms of citizen participation in political life and increase the effectiveness of the legislative process,” Tokayev said.
“Perhaps e-Parliament will soon become as popular a tool in our country as the current e-government (e-Gov).”
Digitalization has been at the forefront of Tokayev’s public policy. He established a new ministry of AI and ordered the construction of Alatau City, heralded as the country’s new “smart,” digital, and crypto hub. Now, it seems that a potential e-Parliament could be in the making too.
Chiefly, Tokayev’s aim seems to be geared towards speeding up the legislative process, which will no longer need the back-and-forth exchange between the Majilis and the Senate.
“The transition to a unicameral Parliament is aimed at adapting to a new rhythm of work, [that is] an accelerated pace of decision-making,” Tokayev said.
The first session of the working group featured members of parliament, the Presidential Administration, and the government, as well as political parties, lawyers, scientists, and public figures. The press was not invited.
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