Super-presidential system of government resulted in political crisis - Kazakh Majilis Speaker
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Speaker of the lower chamber of the Kazakh Parliament, Majilis, Yerlan Koshanov highlighted the process of modernization of Kazakhstan’s political system in his remarks at the Thursday session of the chamber, Kazinform News Agency reports.
For thirty years, Kazakhstan was a country with a super-presidential system of governance. However, over time, this long-standing model led to a serious political crisis. This was largely due to the excessive concentration of power and wealth in the hands of specific groups and one individual, which frustrated society and hindered the country's development. As a result, three years ago, it became crucial to initiate the modernization of the political system and move away from a situation where all power was concentrated in one hands," Speaker Koshanov stressed.
In his words, in many countries, the transfer and delegation of supreme power to other political institutions still spark various debates and discussions. In Kazakhstan, however, the President, on his own initiative, redistributed some powers and introduced a single seven-year term for a president, thereby ending the era of the super-presidential model.
In other words, the previous political architecture and governing principles were ‘reset’ in the country," said Koshanov. "A completely new model of state-political structure was formed, with an optimal balance between branches of power"".
Now, alongside the President, there are revamped institutions such as the Parliament, Government, Constitutional Court, and political parties, all equipped with the necessary powers and enjoying public trust. Clear contours of a social state are emerging, where every action is imbued with respect for law and order. From this moment on, a Just Kazakhstan is no longer a slogan but a real possibility," the Majilis Speaker noted.
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Kazakhstan Considers Pension System Reform
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Labour and Social Protection is considering several options for modernising the country’s pension system, including the introduction of a social pension benefit, the redistribution of employers’ pension contributions, and the possibility of taking a 40-year employment record into account when determining retirement eligibility.
According to the ministry, one of the proposals put forward by the State Social Insurance Fund is the introduction of a social pension payment scheme. Under the proposal, the size of the benefit would depend on an individual’s average monthly income relative to the median wage, as well as their length of employment. The developers believe such a model would reduce the risks associated with a purely funded pension system and make future pension payments more predictable.
The Unified Accumulative Pension Fund has proposed a model under which 4% of mandatory employer pension contributions would be directed to an individual retirement account, while 1% would be allocated to a solidarity-based insurance component. The initiative is intended to provide lifelong financial support to pensioners regardless of life expectancy.
In addition, discussions are underway regarding a proposal by Senate deputy Amangeldy Nugmanov to establish a mandatory 40-year employment record as one of the conditions for retirement. For public-sector employees who have exceeded this threshold, the proposal would allow them to decide independently when to retire.
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The Ministry of Labour stressed that all proposals remain at the discussion stage and are advisory in nature. Final decisions will be made only after assessing their financial sustainability, social effectiveness and potential impact on citizens.
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In addition, Kazakhstan continues the gradual increase of mandatory employer pension contribution rates, which are scheduled to reach 5% by 2028.
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Tokayev Issues Instructions to Regional Governors on Development Priorities
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Therefore, strengthening ties between our supreme courts fully serves the common interests of our brotherly nations," Tokayev said.
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As is well known, Kazakhstan supports all constructive initiatives within the OTS and will continue to do so in the future," he added.
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Earlier, Tokayev congratulated healthcare workers on their professional holiday.
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