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...

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...