Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly of Hungary and Head of the Hungarian delegation to the Council of Europe as Rapporteur of PACE intends to visit Kazakhstan in May this year.
Last week, a round table on democratic reforms in Kazakhstan was held in Strasbourg on the sidelines of the session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
The event was attended by a delegation of the Republic of Kazakhstan headed by Chairman of the Constitutional Court Elvira Azimova. Along with this, the round table was attended by representatives of the parliamentary circles of the European Union, experts, political scientists and journalists.
In her speech, E.Azimova noted the process of strengthening the rule of law of the Constitution, the development of the institution of constitutional control and the role of the judiciary in protecting human rights and freedoms in Kazakhstan. Attention was paid to the human rights agenda, ensuring the independence of the judicial system, anti-corruption policy and international cooperation in promoting democratic values.
In the presentation, it was noted that since 2019, a new state-political course has been taking shape in Kazakhstan step by step, based on the concepts and ideas being implemented.
Thus, the concept of « Just Kazakhstan » reflects the desire to build a state where the priorities are: openness and accountability of government agencies to citizens, human rights and dignity as central elements of public policy.
In 2022, Kazakhstan held a constitutional referendum, which became an important milestone for further deepening political, legal, and socio-economic reforms. The referendum not only consolidated the previously developed reform initiatives, but also gave a powerful impetus to increasing the pace of further modernization of the country.
As part of the referendum, there were:
1) Decentralization of power and transition to a presidential republic with a strengthened Parliament. Now the appointment of the Prime Minister and members of the Government requires the consent of the deputies. Parliament also has the right to hear Government reports on their activities, including the use of budget funds. The formula « a strong President – an influential Parliament – an accountable Government » is fixed. According to the amendments, the President can be elected for only one seven-year term without the right to re-election. Introduction of the election of akims of districts and cities of regional importance
2) Strengthening constitutional guarantees of citizens’ rights and freedoms. The exclusion of the death penalty from the Constitution, the creation of the Constitutional Court, and the introduction of the institution of the Commissioner for Human Rights into the Constitution. There are direct rules guaranteeing freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association. It is emphasized that the exercise of these rights does not require permission, but only requires notification.
A number of constitutional laws have been adopted: « On the Prosecutor’s Office », « On the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Republic of Kazakhstan », « On the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan », as well as other laws such as the Rules for the prevention of bullying of a child; on a mixed electoral system; the introduction of the election of akims of districts and cities of regional significance.
E.Azimova informed PACE members that Kazakhstan is introducing a mandatory 30% quota for women, youth and people with disabilities on party lists. It is necessary to include at least 30% of representatives of these categories in the party lists for elections to the Mazhilis and maslikhats, which contributes to the inclusiveness of the political process.
A Plan for further measures in the field of human rights and the rule of law was adopted on April 28, 2022 (https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/P2200000258 ), which includes measures to eliminate discrimination, promote equal rights and opportunities, protect human rights, and strengthen the rule of law.
In 2023, Kazakhstan continued to implement reforms aimed at eliminating systemic and structural distortions in the economy and creating an open, competitive, inclusive market where human labor is the main value. This approach was outlined in the Address of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to the people of Kazakhstan « The Economic Course of a Just Kazakhstan » (https://www.akorda.kz/ru/poslanie-glavy-gosudarstva-kasym-zhomarta-tokaeva-narodu-kazahstana-ekonomicheskiy-kurs-spravedlivogo-kazahstana-18588 ).
On January 1, 2023, the Constitutional Court began functioning in Kazakhstan, recreated in a new format.
In a special order, the representative of Kazakhstan noted that in July 2023, a separate law « On the return of illegally withdrawn assets to State ownership » was adopted. The law provides for the search and return to the Republic of assets that were previously illegally withdrawn from the country in order to restore justice and strengthen the economic security of the state (https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/Z2300000217 ).
In turn, the European participants expressed their opinions and assessments of institutional reforms in Kazakhstan, expressed support for further dialogue with the Constitutional Court of Kazakhstan.
PACE’s main Rapporteur on Kazakhstan, Zsolt Nemeth (Hungary) said in an interview with Kazakh media that he plans to visit Kazakhstan in May this year to compile a report on our country for the Council of Europe.
In general, the participants of the event at the Council of Europe positively assessed Kazakhstan’s course towards reforms in the legal and democratic sphere.
Photo by Thomas Lohmann on Unsplash
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