Members of Parliament Seek Early Election

Legislators in Kazakstan have called for parliament to be dissolved so that constitutional amendments strengthening its role can be put into effect. NBCentralAsia observers say the move will only fortify the presidential Nur Otan party’s position in a new parliament, and argue that the reforms could be implemented gradually without the need for a dissolution.



Constitutional amendments granting parliament more powers were adopted on May 22, but it was unclear whether the institution could dissolve itself, so on June 7, parliamentarians asked the Constitutional Council to explain the position.



On June 18, the Central Electoral Commission announced that only the president has the power to dissolve parliament but that its members may ask him to do so. The next day, the lower house or Majilis wrote to President Nursultan Nazarbaev requesting that he dissolve it.



Under the recent changes to the constitution, the Majilis has the power to approve the president’s nomination for prime minister and appoint members to the Constitutional Council, Central Electoral Commission and Accounts Committee.



The Majilis currently has 10 members selected from party lists while the remaining 67 hold constituency seats. The amendments will raise the total number of seats to 107, and all will be electable by proportional representation using party lists.



These changes are not due to come into effect until the next election takes place in 2009, but parliamentarians are keen to speed up the process by dissolving both houses ahead of time.



NBCentralAsia analysts say that while it makes sense to speed up reforms in this way, the move will only strengthen the presidential Nur Otan party.



Andrey Chebotarev, director of the Alternativa think tank, argues that the constitutional changes could still be applied without holding an early election. He doubts that those calling for an early dissolution are motivated only by a desire to speed the process of constitutional reform, and believes they are already sure that Nur Otan will win a majority.



Human rights activist Yevgeny Zhovtis says fresh elections will only make the dominant party Otan even more powerful, in a parliament with greater powers. The elections will be based on party lists and because Nur Otan is currently the strongest party, it is safe to assume it will win a majority in the next Majilis, he says.



“I don’t think it’s the deputies who need a dissolution – it’s those make decisions in our country who do,” he said.



(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)