BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 24. Kazakhstan will hold elections to maslikhats, local representative bodies, at all levels following the early termination of their powers, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at the first session of the Kazakhstan People’s Council in Astana today.
This was announced in a statement published by the press service of the Kazakh president.
Tokayev said the elections would become the final stage of the transformation of the country’s public administration system.
“The transformations must continue. The final stage of the reforms will be the elections to maslikhats at all levels,” he said.
He noted that the current deputies of local representative bodies would retain their powers until their termination on the grounds provided for by the Constitution and laws.
Tokayev also pointed to the political situation surrounding the composition of the maslikhats. He said that the overwhelming majority of their deputies had been elected from the Amanat party, which currently does not operate independently after joining the Ädilet party.
The president said the relevant legal procedures would be completed soon, after which the legitimacy of a large part of the maslikhat deputy corps would become an issue.
At the same time, he stressed that maslikhats should continue to fully perform their functions of representing citizens’ interests at the local level, approving budgets and overseeing regional development.
“Therefore, in the near future I will hold consultations with the Prime Minister and the Chairperson of the Kurultai on the early termination of the powers of maslikhats at all levels, following which I will sign the relevant decree. After that, the Central Election Commission will have to determine the date of the upcoming elections,” Tokayev said.
According to the president, the decision will pave the way for the formation of a qualified and professional body of maslikhat deputies and give new impetus to their work.
“I am confident that you will also make a significant contribution to holding these elections at a high and quality level,” he said.
