ASTANA, Kazakhstan, September 8. The President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, threw his hat in the ring by proposing to dissolve the Senate and turn the Parliament into a one-house show during his annual Address to the People of Kazakhstan, Trend reports.
According to President Tokayev, the Senate, as the upper chamber of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, was established in 1995 under rather difficult and unstable political conditions in the country, which was just beginning the challenging path to building state foundations.
"I myself had the opportunity to lead the Senate for ten years, and I always regarded this work as a great honor and responsibility. Therefore, it is not easy for me to speak about parliamentary reform from this podium. Nevertheless, today I will express a proposal to create a unicameral Parliament in our country in the foreseeable future. I would like to immediately warn that this is a very serious issue, and haste in making a decision is completely inappropriate," Tokayev noted.
According to him, this reform should be the subject of thorough discussion within the civil sector, expert community, and, of course, the current Parliament.
"I believe that the discussion, given the extraordinary nature of the reform, will take at least a year, after which a nationwide referendum could be held in 2027, followed by the necessary amendments to the Constitution. I have repeatedly stated that all issues of a fateful nature for the state will be resolved only with the consent of the people," Tokayev emphasized.
Moreover, according to President Tokayev, this will correspond to the widely spread parliamentary tradition in the world.
"Thus, the current composition of the Mazhilis will have the opportunity to calmly engage in the legislative process practically until the end of their term of office. The Senate will continue to function until the results of the nationwide referendum are summed up and new parliamentary elections are held," Tokayev added.
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