By Lucia Rotta
ASTANA (KAZAKISTAN) (ITALPRESS) – A single-chamber Parliament, the new figure of a vice-president and special attention to human rights are just some of the elements contained in the new draft Constitution on which citizens are called today to express themselves in Kazakhstan. The referendum was strongly desired by the President of the Kazakh Republic, Kassym Jomart Tokayev, and sees as an objective a leap forward in the context of world democracies. The question is as simple as ambitious, or whether or not to accept the new Constitution prepared by a team of experts and published on February 12. The process was rapid, with an initial announcement by Tokayev, on 8 September, of a reform that had to involve only the transformation of Parliament, currently bicameral. After the formation of a working group, in October, a 6-month review process followed, in which citizens actively participated by sending thousands of proposed modifications through digital platforms specially set up by the government. A constitutional committee composed of representatives of all regions and social groups was formed in January. At the end, the proposals examined by the commission covered 77 articles, about 84 percent of the current Constitution. From here the decision was born to proceed with an entirely new text, which met the needs of a changed world, both within the country and in the external geopolitical dynamics. The seats opened today are over 10 thousand throughout the national territory and 62 abroad. The new text, which has been presented to the citizens 5 weeks before the vote, shows that the stake is above all to give greater balance to the political system, with the introduction of the Vice-President and a strengthening of Parliament’s role. The transformation of the latter into a single-camera structure aims, in particular, to simplify and accelerate the legislative process. But crucial points of the referendum proposal are also the focus on human rights, education and innovation, to accompany the country in its development. “Our goal is to strengthen the socio-economic and international potential of Kazakhstan,” said Foreign Minister Arman Issetov, in an international press briefing. For the first time, the development of science and innovation is defined as a constitutional principle, thus revealing a clear vocation towards the future for a country from the undeniable geostrategic position and already known potential in the field of raw materials. Building partnerships and consolidating existing ones is another clear goal of this reform. A greater political stability, in fact, succeeds “to attract investors”, said Ralph Winnie, vice president of the Eurasian Center in Washington, during a round table organized by the think thank CFive of Astana. The new Constitution, according to Winnie, also likes the US for the message of openness and transparency that he wants to send. The move is therefore probably appreciated by the American administration, observed Winnie, in a context that saw Kazakhstan also called to be part of the Board of Peace by American President Trump. The attention to human rights is certainly appreciated also by Brussels and European partners, with whom Astana already sees long-term cooperation. All factors, therefore, that will only contribute to accompanying the rise of a country that this year, with its 306 billion GDP, has officially joined the 50 largest economies of the planet.
(ITALPRESS).
Photos: Lucia Rotta
