Reforms - The Times Of Central Asia

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Reforms

Kazakhstan: A decree on human rights demonstrates the government is responsive to the people’s demands

Democracy in Central Asia is evolving since the Soviet Union's collapse three decades ago. Despite a history of authoritarianism, the region is showing signs of human rights improvement and increased democratic representation. New voices are emerging, impacting societal change. It's crucial to recognize this progress while still addressing human rights issues and advocating for further democratic reforms. On December 10, 2023, the world celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), a g seminal document that established the universal recognition of fundamental human rights. The anniversary was marked by various events and initiatives around the globe, including a significant event in Geneva. In line with this celebration, the U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced the designation of Taliban leaders connected to restrictions on access to secondary education for women. President Kassym Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan also demonstrated his country's commitment to upholding human rights by signing a decree titled "On Further Measures of the Republic of Kazakhstan". This statute underlines Kazakhstan's commitment to implementing democratic reforms and integrating them into everyday public life. The Decree aligns the nation's democratic and human rights mechanisms with international standards, encouraging cooperation between the state, the United Nations (UN), and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). It has initiated practical measures like expert-led training sessions from the UN and OSCE to implement regional political reforms. Additionally, the Decree’s Action Plan details the executive, legislative, and judicial branches' the execution of reforms in collaboration with civil society and the international community with the ultimate aim of upholding the rule of law and human rights. These initiatives are consistent with President Tokayev's promise to build a "Just and Fair Kazakhstan" that will protect marginalized groups, support union activities, uphold assembly rights, and prevent violence and torture. Building gender equality Women's rights have become a focal point globally. Kazakhstan, with its nomadic heritage, has made significant strides in narrowing the gender gap compared to many other countries. Since joining the UN’s Human Rights Council for the 2022-2024 term, the country has prioritized gender equality and women's empowerment. Kazakhstan recently moved up 15 positions in the “Global Gender Gap” index due to successful reforms in the field of gender development where it is ranked 65 out of 146 countries. The recent Decree fundamentally strengthens gender equality. The Government is instructed to take systematic measures to promote equal rights and opportunities in all spheres of society, as well as to overcome all forms and manifestations of gender discrimination. The decree also encompasses legislation to deter domestic violence and promotes equal rights and safety for both men and women in the Republic of Kazakhstan, as endorsed by UN Security Council resolution 13251. This is a significant step forward in addressing gender-based violence and discrimination, reflecting the government's commitment to promoting human rights and gender equality. Combatting domestic violence A recent, and very public, tragedy in Kazakhstan represented domestic violence at its worst. To combat domestic violence effectively, it is essential to create...

Reforms

President Tokayev’s Republic Day Speech Marks Thirty-Three Years of Independent Kazakhstan

In late October, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered a speech on the eve of the country’s Republic Day holiday. While casting a view back to the declaration of independence in 1990, it was a multi-pronged evaluation of the events in the country’s current context. This approach allowed Tokayev to wear two hats – one as the head of state, which he has worn since 2019, and one as a professionally-trained political scientist and diplomat. Five main themes stood out in the President’s speech: The independence as the highest national value; the focus on a balanced, peaceful and co-operative foreign policy; the irreversibility of the recent progressive reforms which have strengthened rule of law and shifted the governance culture; the crucial role of the youth in shaping Kazakhstan’s future, and finally, the nation’s commitment to honoring the honest and dedicated work of its citizens. The President’s evaluation of his first theme, underlining the importance of the country’s independence, included a roll-call of more than a dozen unsung heroes of the early 1990s, who gave birth to the new state. “This declaration of independence,” he affirmed, “met the aspirations and expectations of the people and was adopted thanks to the wisdom and prudence of the country's patriots,” whose “courage and determination, shown at a critical hour can be regarded as true heroism.” While Tokayev did not include himself in that list, likely out of modesty, everyone listening to the speech knew that after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, he became the deputy foreign minister of a newly independent Kazakhstan in 1992. He stayed in that post for the better part of a decade before becoming deputy prime minister and then prime minister in 1999. From 2002 to 2007, he represented the country’s foreign ministry and served as state secretary. Thereafter, he variously spent two years as Director-General of the United Nations Geneva Office, and served as chairman of Kazakhstan’s Senate, until 2019 when he became President. Secondly, President Tokayev underlined that Kazakhstan’s balanced, peaceful and co-operative foreign policy was central to the nation’s strategy to consolidate and preserve its independence by safeguarding peace and harmony beyond its borders. The President’s message underscored the significance of Kazakhstan’s “precious legacy” of independence. This represents, he pointed out, the latest in a historical series of Kazakh states stretching back to Turkic Khaganates, the Golden Horde and the Kazakh Khanate. However, as Tokayev stressed, the present state of Kazakhstan represents not only a historical achievement but also an ongoing commitment to the future that shapes the country’s diplomatic strategy and its approach to global interactions. President Tokayev’s Republic Day speech also articulated the imperative of “zero tolerance” towards any manifestations of radicalism, extremism, legal nihilism, and everyday vandalism. These phenomena cannot be allowed because the maintenance of social stability and unity is the foundational domestic requirement for upholding sovereignty and statehood. His strict position on combatting these destructive forces is part and parcel of the government’s commitment ensure that the rule of law is respected...

Reforms

Kazakhstan’s progression to a “listening state”

30 December 2022 Kazakhstan had a momentous year in 2022. It started with the January unrest, when thousands of citizens went into the streets in peaceful rallies against a sudden sharp increase in prices of the liquefied gas they used in their homes. These rallies turned into a mass protest against the legacy of the regime of Kazakhstan’s first president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, who had failed to give the people a voice and listen to their legitimate needs. What started out as a dangerous and tragic affair, however, soon turned into a real opportunity for the country’s democratic future. The big shift from Nazarbayev to Tokayev While the entrenched business elites around Nazarbayev ruled the country for over three decades, discontent grew among the broader population who perceived an economic class bias against them. Tokayev began weakening the power of Nazarbayev and his hangers-on after he became president in 2019; and in 2020, he began to dismantle the Nazarbayevite oligarchy. After Tokayev removed Nazarbayev’s eldest daughter, Dariga, from her post as Speaker of the Senate and cancelled a state contract worth millions of dollars to another daughter, Dinara, the Nazarbayevite elites became alarmed and began to view Tokayev as an existential threat to their continued power. Three days into the January events, security forces controlled by Nazarbayevite cliques, and led by National Security Committee head Karim Massimov, hijacked the protests. Using their own criminal provocateurs, they deliberately turned the peaceful protests violent and attempted to stage a coup d’état. They raided armouries and stormed government buildings in a co-ordinated effort to push Tokayev from power. After order was restored, both Nazarbayev and Massimov were ousted from all their official duties, opening the way for an ambitious drive to transform the country’s social, economic and political system through a series of reforms. What is a “listening state”? The concept of the “listening state” goes beyond Gorbachev’s glasnost. In English, “glasnost” translates as “openness” or “transparency”, but in Russian, the meaning is more nuanced. The word comes from the noun golos and the suffix -nost. Golos means voice, and -nost means “the quality of”. So, glasnost is the quality of having a voice, as opposed to not having one. Hence, “glasnost” in Russian implies listening to the voice of the public. Glasnost was the foundation of two other Gorbachev reforms: perestroika and democratization. Perestroika meant “restructuring” of the economy, while democratization meant political reforms. Under Gorbachev in the Soviet Union, glasnost, restructuring and democratization were supposed to reinforce one another. All three had to work together for any one of them to succeed completely. The problems that Tokayev confronted when he became president in 2019 broadly resemble the problems that Gorbachev faced in 1985. The Brezhnev regime, which Gorbachev inherited, became referred to as a period of “stagnation”, thus the antithesis of glasnost. Like Brezhnev, Nazarbayev entrenched an elite political class, disconnected from the people, and unwilling to respond to their needs or institute significant reforms. Implementing a “listening state” is the most...

Reforms

Kazakhstan to End “Super-Presidential” Model of Government

Earlier today, March 16, 2022, historical new reforms were introduced in Kazakhstan. After 30 years of independence from the Soviet Union, its progress towards democracy went dormant. The reforms announced today, if implemented, will bring Kazakhstan’s democracy standards on par and in some cases above those of the European Union. Tokayev has served as president of Kazakhstan for 2 years. After protests and the attempted coup in January 2022, it became clear that the country needed to introduce fundamental reforms aimed at human rights, openness, welfare and the fight against corruption. Moreover, the tragic events in January were seen in part as a consequence of political "stagnation" which required fundamental changes to resolve. The monopoly in the political sphere led to various social issues and the overall degradation of the state under the increased influence of individuals close to the center of power and oligarchic groups. In today's message to the people of Kazakhstan, Tokayev announced reforms impacting almost all the country’s political institutions. The key powers of the main governmental bodies, such as the presidential office, parliament, local administrations, as well as the judicial and law enforcement systems will be revised. Laws regarding political parties and the electoral process will also be revised. At the same time, President Tokayev emphasized that reforms in Kazakhstan should not be in name only. He declared: “Reforms for the sake of reforms are not needed. The time when we were content with achievements only on paper has passed. It is necessary to eradicate the monopoly in the economy and politics, to move from a super-presidential to a presidential model of government.” According to Tokayev, there will be a significant limitation applied to presidential powers in Kazakhstan. This will entail, the parliament’s authorities will be strengthened. A mixed proportional representation voting system will be introduced amidst a broader plan to reform the parliamentarian system. The entry of new political parties into Kazakhstan’s democratic contest can be expected. Barriers to forming new political parties will be removed. The number of signatures required will be decreased. The registration process will be streamlined. Tokayev also called for a strong parliament that has checks and balances over the authority over the presidency. He lessened the president’s influence over the parliament by reducing the number of appointed senators from 15 to 10. Of the 10 appointees, half will be recommended by the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan, a consultative body that develops the policy of friendship and unity between the various nationalities that make up the Kazakh people. The judicial system of Kazakhstan will also be changed, and a Constitutional Court created. Under the new initiative, the president’s appointment of the chairman of the Constitutional Court, and the chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council, will require the consent of the Senate, a move which is aimed at strengthening the independence and transparency of the judiciary. In addition, according to new legislation, the president will be required to terminate any membership in a political party during their term in...