Kazakhstan

Politics

Main article: Politics of Kazakhstan

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Kazakhstan is a constitutional republic with a strong presidency. The president is the head of state. The president also is the commander in chief of the armed forces and may veto legislation that has been passed by the Parliament. President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has been in office since Kazakhstan became independent, won a new 7-year term in the 1999 election that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said fell short of international standards. The prime minister, who serves at the pleasure of the president, chairs the Cabinet of Ministers and serves as Kazakhstan's head of government. There are three deputy prime ministers and 16 ministers in the Cabinet. Daniyal K. Akhmetov became the Prime Minister in June 2003.

Related Topics:
Constitution - Republic - Head of state - Commander in chief - Veto - Parliament - Nursultan Nazarbayev - 1999 - Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe - Daniyal K. Akhmetov - June 2003

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Kazakhstan has a bicameral Parliament, comprised of the lower house (the Mazhilis) and upper house (the Senate). Single mandate districts popularly elect 67 seats in the Mazhilis; there also are 10 members elected by party-list vote rather than by single mandate districts. The Senate has 39 members. Two senators are selected by each of the elected assemblies (Maslikhats) of Kazakhstan's 16 principal administrative divisions (14 regions, or oblasts, plus the cities of Astana and Almaty). The president appoints the remaining seven senators. Mazhilis deputies and the government both have the right of legislative initiative, though the government proposes most legislation considered by the Parliament.

Related Topics:
Lower house - Mazhilis - Upper house - Senate - Maslikhats

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Elections to the Mazhilis in September 2004 yielded a lower house dominated by the pro-government Otan party, headed by President Nazarbayev. Two other parties considered sympathetic to the president, including the agrarian-industrial bloc AIST and the Asar party, founded by President Nazarbayev’s daughter, won most of the remaining seats. Opposition parties, which were officially registered and competed in the elections, won a single seat during elections that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said fell short of international standards.

Related Topics:
September 2004 - Otan party - AIST - Asar party

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In 1999, Kazakhstan applied for observer status at the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly. The official response of the Assembly was that Kazakhstan could apply for full membership, because it is partially located in Europe, but that they would not be granted any status whatsoever at the Council until their democracy and human rights records improved.

Related Topics:
1999 - Council of Europe - Parliamentary Assembly - Democracy - Human rights

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Kazakh Intelligence Services

Kazakhstan's National Security Committee (KNB) was established June 13 1992. It includes the Service of Internal Security, Military Counterintelligence, Border Guard, several Commandos units, and Foreign Intelligence (Barlau). The later is considered by many as the most important part of KNB. Its director is Major General Omirtai Bitimov.

Related Topics:
June 13 - 1992 - Major General - Omirtai Bitimov

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