Mazhilis of Parliament of Republic of Kazakhstan Supported Establishment of Parliamentary Opposition

On 6 May, members of the lower chamber adopted amendments to the Constitutional Law on Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Status of its Members. The draft law, which is aimed at establishment of the institute of parliamentary opposition, was drafted in accordance with the request of President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

The terms “parliamentary majority” and “parliamentary opposition” are ensured at the legislative level. It also provides for a mechanism of election of the opposition MPs as the Chairs of one of the permanent committees of the Mazhilis and secretaries of two committees of the chamber.

Moreover, the parliamentary opposition shall have the right to initiate at least one parliamentary hearing in a calendar year, as well as set the agendas of the “government hours” at least two times during the parliamentary session.

Speaker of the Mazhilis Nurlan Nigmatulin noted that the legal implementation of the concept of the parliamentary opposition would open a new page in the history of Kazakh parliamentarism.

Photo: parlam.kz