ASTANA, Kazakhstan, January 24. Kazakhstan's
future unicameral parliament, "Qurultay," will have 145 deputies,
said Deputy Chairman of the Constitutional Commission and State
Advisor Erlan Karin at the first meeting of the Constitutional
Reform Commission in Astana, Trend reports.
He also noted that under the current legislation, citizens over
the age of 25 are eligible to become members of the Mazhilis
(current parliament). They must also have resided in the country on
a permanent basis for the last 10 years. The main point is that
citizens who wish to serve the country should have the opportunity
to become elected representatives. The working group concluded that
the same requirements that apply to Mazhilis deputies should also
apply to deputies of the future Qurultay.
According to Karin, the working group unanimously supported
President Tokayev's initiative to transition to a fully
proportional electoral system. The proportional system will allow
political parties to develop their personnel policies and
strengthen their institutional role, as well as increase their
responsibility to society.
Furthermore, deputies in the new parliament will be elected for
a five-year term.
In his message to the people of Kazakhstan on September 8 last
year, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed the transition to a
unicameral parliament. A month later, on October 8, the president
signed a decree establishing a working group for parliamentary
reform. The Constitutional Commission is the legal continuation of
the working group.
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