Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev
In his televised annual address to the nation on January 30, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev laid out the third stage of Kazakhstan’s modernisation and briefly outlined the areas of development.
“The first stage of modernisation was the creation of an entirely new state based on the principles of a market economy. The second one was the implementation of the Strategy 2030 and the creation of our country’s capital, Astana,” the President said.
The President added that Kazakhstan has been developing at an accelerated pace and has become one of the 50 most-developed countries. Drastic changes in the technological sphere require a transition to a new model of economic growth, he said, which is why his address is devoted to the third stage of modernisation. “Our task is to ensure our country’s global competitiveness in the new reality. The basis of our actions is the Plan of the Nation on implementing the five institutional reforms,” he added.
One of the key priorities of what the Kazakh leader calls the third stage of modernisation is the economy’s accelerated technological renovation. It implies the creation of new promising sectors on the basis of digital technologies.
The President underscored the importance of further improving the business environment and conditions for mass business.
“It is necessary to minimise state involvement in the economy, reduce all possible costs for businesses and develop public-private partnerships,” he said.
The Head of the Kazakh State named agriculture, transport, logistics, real estate market, education, healthcare and social protection of the population among issues of paramount importance in the future development model. The country’s macroeconomic policy, according to him, also requires modernisation.
The President instructed the government to develop a strategic plan of development until 2025 on the third stage of modernisation of the country called “Kazakhstan’s national technological initiative.” It is to act as a response to modern challenges.
Nazarbayev emphasised that all the aforesaid measures seek to ensure economic growth in the long run.
“The state’s political modernisation project has been published recently. Both of these initiatives complement each other and serve as long-term goals for the country,” the President said, noting that this is the only way to achieve the Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy’s main goal of joining the top 30 most-developed countries in the world.
These are the key areas of technological modernisation of Kazakhstan, he said. In conclusion, the President expressed confidence that the people of Kazakhstan would support the proposed measures.
Moreover, during a special televised address to the nation on January 25, the President announced a number of functions that would be transferred either to the government or Parliament. Public discussions on the proposed constitutional reforms will take place during the next month, concluding on February 26. After this, the reforms will be presented to Parliament.
The objectives of the proposed reform are:
? To create “a serious redistribution of powers and democratisation of the political system as a whole”. It will substantially contribute to Kazakhstan’s democratic development.
? To strengthen the control of the legislature over the executive.
? To improve the efficiency of the public administration system and stability of the political system.
? To increase the role of the government and Parliament to provide a more effective mechanism of response to modern challenges.
? To ensure that all branches of government work effectively and responsibly and to create an appropriate system of checks and balances.
? To meet Kazakhstan’s long-term development objectives, including the five institutional reforms and to join the top 30 most developed countries in the world by 2050.
Summary of the proposed reform
Approximately 40 functions would be transferred either to the government or Parliament through relevant laws. Numerous changes will require amending the Constitution. These may include:
New parliamentary powers
? Parliament will be empowered to negotiate the government’s structure with the President.
? Parliament’s control over the government would be increased by simplifying the procedure of holding a “vote of no confidence” on a sitting Cabinet.
? Parliament will be granted greater authority over local government.
New government powers
? Government Ministers would have more power and responsibilities to manage social and economic development in Kazakhstan.
? The approval of state programmes will be transferred to the government.
Role of the President
? The role of the President – who will focus mainly on strategic matters, foreign policy and national security – will be that of a “supreme arbiter” in relations between the different branches of government.
This initiative of President Nursultan Nazarbayev proposes a constitutional reform aimed at furthering the democratic development of Kazakhstan and its people.
