The fourth meeting of the Working Group on Parliamentary Reform was held in Astana under the chairmanship of State Counselor Erlan Karin. The discussion focused on the future model of Kazakhstan’s Parliament, its interaction with other state institutions, and the possible name of a new unicameral legislative body, DKNews.kz reports.
The Working Group was established by presidential decree on October 8 last year. Its first meeting took place on October 14 with the participation of the Head of State. On the same day, at the President’s instruction, a special section titled “Parliamentary Reform” was launched on the e-Otinish platform and the eGov service, enabling citizens to submit proposals on improving the parliamentary system.
Subsequent meetings addressed key stages of the reform process. At the second meeting on December 2, members examined issues related to the formation of a new Parliament. The third meeting, held on December 29, focused on the core mechanisms of the legislative process of the future Parliament.
Erlan Karin: Reform is part of broader political modernization
Speaking at the meeting, State Counselor Erlan Karin emphasized that public discussion of the parliamentary reform has been ongoing for nearly six months. He stressed that the initiative should be viewed as part of a wider transformation of the political system.
“Parliamentary reform is an integral part of the large-scale political modernization initiated by the President. It includes four packages of political reforms implemented between 2019 and 2021, as well as the Constitutional Reform of 2022. Overall, all presidential reforms are aimed at strengthening the institutional resilience of the state and adapting the political system to modern realities,” Erlan Karin said.
More than 500 proposals from society
During the meeting, Natalia Pan, Director of the Institute of Parliamentarism, presented a consolidated overview of proposals received from citizens, experts, and civil society activists. According to her, more than 500 proposals have been submitted to the Working Group through the dedicated sections on the e-Otinish and eGov platforms.
These proposals cover a wide range of issues, including the structure of the future Parliament, its powers, legislative procedures, and mechanisms of interaction with other branches of government.
What the future Parliament may look like
The main focus of the fourth meeting was the discussion of how the future Parliament will interact with other state institutions, as well as consideration of the name of the new unicameral legislative body.
Deputy Head of the Working Group and Assistant to the President for Legal Affairs Erzhan Zhiyenbayev outlined general approaches to defining the powers of the future Parliament. These approaches were developed based on proposals from Working Group members and political parties.
Members of the Working Group - Azat Peruashev, Marat Shibutov, Yelnur Beisenbayev, Marat Bashimov, Indira Aubakirova, Askhat Rakhimzhanov, Alua Ibraeva, Unzila Shapak, Karlygash Zhamankulova, and Erlan Sarsembaev - shared their ideas and perspectives on the agenda items.
Major constitutional changes ahead
Participants noted the scale of the upcoming constitutional amendments. These changes are expected not only to increase the effectiveness of the legislative branch but also to significantly modernize the entire system of interaction among key state institutions.
Following the meeting, State Counselor Erlan Karin instructed the Working Group to consolidate and conduct a comprehensive analysis of all proposals received. The development of concrete approaches to improving the parliamentary system will continue in stages at future meetings.
The active involvement of citizens and the high number of submitted proposals highlight the importance of parliamentary reform in Kazakhstan’s political agenda and its relevance to the country’s long-term development.
