Translated with AI
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed calling the unicameral parliament planned for the republic a Kurultai. He made this proposal at a meeting of the National Kurultai, which currently serves as a consultative and advisory body and meets once a year.
According to Tokayev, the historical scale and significance of the Kurultai are "clear and dear" to Kazakhstanis. "Overall, I believe we should retain the name Kurultai as a symbol of a very important state institution in our country's political system," ORDA.kz quotes the president as saying.
The new parliament is expected to be elected for a five-year term. It will have 145 seats instead of the current 148: 98 in the Majilis and 50 in the Senate. The presidential quota, as well as the quota for the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan, will be eliminated when forming the parliament.
"The new parliament should not have any exclusive appointees; deputies should be elected according to uniform rules for everyone," the president emphasized.
The Speaker of Parliament will have no more than three deputies, and the total number of committees should not exceed eight.
Tokayev also proposed granting deputies new powers to elect all Supreme Court judges upon the president's nomination. Currently, candidates for Supreme Court judge positions are recommended by the Supreme Judicial Council, approved by the president, and ultimately elected by the Senate.
At the meeting, Tokayev proposed creating the position of Vice President of Kazakhstan. The vice president would be appointed by the president with the consent of a majority vote in parliament. The vice president would represent the country at international and domestic events.
"The head of state determines the scope of his powers. It is assumed that the vice president, on the instructions of the president, will represent the interests of the Republic of Kazakhstan at international forums and negotiations with delegations of foreign states, represent the interests of the president in parliament, interact with domestic and foreign public, political, scientific, and cultural-educational organizations, and carry out other instructions from the president," Tokayev said.
It's worth noting that the position of vice president already existed in Kazakhstan under the first head of state, Nursultan Nazarbayev, from 1991 to 1996. The first and only person to hold this position was Erik Magzumovich Asanbayev. He held the position from the moment the republic declared independence on December 16, 1991. On February 22, 1996, Nazarbayev relieved Asanbayev of his post, after which the position of vice president was abolished.
