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Executive branch

PRESIDENT

The President of the Republic of Kazakhstan is the Head of State. He identifies major guidelines of domestic and foreign policy of the country, guarantees the coordinated functioning of all branches of state power, makes the Government be responsible before the people.

The President is a key actor in political, economic and social life of the country. With his rather broad authorities, the President influences the process of forming the Government; he appoints and dismisses the Heads of the administrative divisions at all levels.

On April 29, 1995 the nation-wide referendum extended presidential term of office until 2000. On January 10, 1999 President Nursultan Nazarbayev was officially reelected for his first 7-year-term (he won the elections with 79.78% of votes). The Constitutional reform in Kazakhstan was followed by a redistribution of authorities among all three branches of state power in favor of the President who took dominant positions in the system of government and political sphere and gained powerful mechanisms for self-protection and ability to influence the Government, the Parliament, courts and local authorities.

On December 2005, Nursultan Nazarbayev was reelected for the second 7-year-term. He won the elections with 91,1 % of votes.

Official Site

President of the Republic of Kazakhstan - www.president.kz

PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION

Administration of the President (AP) plays a very significant role in the system of government. AP was created in October 1995 on the basis of the former Apparatus of the President. AP is a state body, formed by and accountable only to the Head of State.

The Administration of the President shall:

  • ensure the activity of the Head of State and advisory bodies under his control;
  • exercise overall supervision over the activities of the state bodies, including execution of acts and instructions issued by the President;
  • execute unconditionally and completely Presidential decisions as well as provide him timely with complete national and foreign situation overview.
Personalities

Aslan Musin - Head of the Presidential Administration  (appointed in October, 2008). Musin was preceded at this post by Kairat Kelimbetov.

ADISORY BODIES UNDER THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN

National Council for State (National) Policy
The National Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan was created to promote further democratization of the country. The Council consists of representatives of various social and political institutions.

Chair: Nazarbayev Nursultan Abishevitch, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Security Council
The Security Council was established by the President of the Republic with the aim to ensure defense potential and national security of the country, as well as to pursue a uniform policy with regard to protecting human rights and freedoms, independence and territorial integrity of the State. The Security Council coordinates the activities of power structures, those of central and local executive authorities, as well as examines draft laws and supervises execution of standard documents within the range of competence thereof.

Oksikbayev Omarkhan Nurtaevitch - Security Council Secretary

Supreme Court Council
The Council gives recommendations to the President of the Republic who submits to the Senate of the Parliament the candidacies for the election to the positions of the Chairman of the Supreme Court, Chairman of the Bar and judges of the Supreme Court. The Council makes the same recommendations over the candidacies of regional and adequate to them courts; Chairmen of Bars and judges of the Supreme Court.

Narikbayev Maksut Sultanovitch - Chairman of the Supreme Court Council

Republican Committee for Human Rights
Basic tasks of the Committee are as follows:

  • assisting the President of the Republic in the implementation of his constitutional status of a human rights and freedoms guarantor;
  • enhancing human rights provision and protection mechanisms.

Chair: Baykadamov Bolat Kenjekeshevitch, Human Rights Commissioner of Kazakhstan.

National Commission for Family and Women under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan
The principal tasks of the Commission are:

  • Identification of priorities and development of recommendations on forming complex state policy in respect of the family, women and children considering regional special features in the context of realization of the Strategy of Kazakhstan development up to 2030;
  • Development of the system of complex measures in economic, social, psychological, legal support of family, women and children and assistance in their implementation;
  • Assistance and stimulation of the expansion of the women’s representation in the bodies of state management;
  • Participation and assistance in the development of projects of the normative legal documents, which regulate the position of family, women and children;
  • Cooperation with non-governmental women’s organizations, international organizations and their representatives in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Samakova Aigul Baigazyevna– Chairwoman of the Commission for Family and Women

Assembly of the Peoples of Kazakhstan
The Assembly activity is directed to the solution of the following tasks:

  • to promote maintenance of interethnic consent and social stability;
  • to work out proposals over state policy, making for the development of friendly relations between peoples residing in Kazakhstan; to promote their cultural and spiritual revival and development based on observance of equal rights;
  • to form political culture resting on civilized and democratic standards;
  • to provide for consideration of multilateral ethnic interests within the national policy;
  • to search for compromises to settle down social conflicts arising in the society.

Chair: Nazarbayev Nursultan Abishevitch, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Council of Businessmen under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan
The Council pursues the objective to mobilize the potential of large-scale domestic business for development of the country. It is also designed to determine basic directions of use and protection of domestic investments. It consists of the Heads and other senior officials of government agencies, and businessmen.

Chair: Nazarbayev Nursultan Abishevitch, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Legal Policy Council
The Legal Policy Council coordinates elaboration of the Legal Policy Concept of the State and development of the activities aiming at strengthening law enforcement and reinforcing fight against crimes and violations of law.

Igor Rogov– Head of the Legal Policy Council, Deputy Head of the Administration of the President

Commission for Countering Corruption and Observance of the State Service Ethics
The Commission has the following tasks:

  • to elaborate and implement techniques for strengthening fight against corruption;
  • to promote unconditional observance of the ethic rules by government employees;
  • to submit recommendations and suggestions on promotion of improved anticorruption activities and responsibility of state employees to the attention of the Head of State.

Kim Georgiy Vasilyevitch –Chairman of the Commission for Countering Corruption and Observance of the State Service Ethics

National Commission on Democratization and Civil Society
This advisory agency was established with the purpose to develop a civil dialogue on the most important issues of the political development of Kazakhstan. In itself this agency aims at establishing a dialogue with government’s opposition. Its predecessor – The Standing Meeting for Democratization – failed to arrange this dialogue between the government and the opposition.

GOVERNMENT

In compliance with the Constitution the Government exercises executive power of the Republic of Kazakhstan; it stands at the head of the system of executive bodies and regulates their activities. The President appoints the Head of Government provided for by confirmation of a parliamentary majority. The Cabinet is formed by the President on presentation made by the Prime Minister within a ten day term upon the appointment of the Prime Minister. All throughout the scope of its activities the Government is accountable to the President of the Republic.

Authorities
  • Elaboration and execution of principal guidelines of socio-economic policy, national defense, security and public order;
  • Submission of the national budget and budgetary spending reports to the Parliament (Majilis) for consideration; ensuring execution of the national budget;
  • Submission of draft laws to the Parliament (Majilis) for consideration; ensuring law enforcement;
  • Development of certain measures to pursue national foreign policy;
  • Supervision of the activities of Ministries and executive bodies at all levels;
  • Appointment and discharge of the heads of central executive bodies not holding offices with the Government.
Termination of Authorities

The Government abdicates from its powers before the newly elected President of the Republic. The Government declares the President its resignation in case the Parliament (Majilis) gives the Government a vote of no confidence. The Government may also terminate its authorities on the initiative of the President and in case of the Prime Minister's dismissal.

Personalities

Masimov Karim Kazhimkhanovich - Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Shukeev Umirzak Estayevich - Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Orynbayev Erbol Turmakhanovich - Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Tazhin Marat Mukhambetkaziyevitch - Foreign Minister

Akhmetov Danial Kenzhetayevitch - Defense Minister

Official Sites

Government - www.government.kz

Ministry of Agriculture - www.minagri.kz

Ministry of Defense - www.mod.kz

Ministry of Education and Science - www.edu.gov.kz

Ministry of Environment Protection - www.nature.kz

Ministry of Finance - www.minfin.kz

Ministry of Foreign Affairs - www.mfa.kz

Ministry of Health - www.dari.kz

Ministry of Industry and Trade - www.mit.kz

Ministry of Internal Affairs - www.mvd.kz

Ministry of Labor and Social Security - www.enbek.kz

INTERACTION OF THE EXECUTIVE BODIES

The Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan is not an independent actor in the policy making process. Government appointments are made personally by the President. The Government activities are more of technical character, as it is not authorized to exercise solely initiated policy independently without prior consultations with the President. The Administration of the President is a principal mediator between the Cabinet and the President.

POLITICAL PRESSURE GROUPS IN THE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

So-called “patron-client” relations essentially feature the political system of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Political life in Kazakhstan is also determined by a constant struggle for power within three groups: the Elder zhuz (“zhuz”– a historically formed tribal community) –“Uly” (Southern and South-Eastern Kazakhstan); the Middle zhuz–“Orta” (Northern, Central and Eastern Kazakhstan), and the Younger zhuz–“Kishi” (Western Kazakhstan).

From historical perspective zhuz came in to being not long ago - in the beginning of the 17th century. Nevertheless, controversies between them have deeply rooted in Kazakh mentality. The relations within each zhuz have always been based on a strict hierarchy. The principle of “common tribe” is very strong, i.e. interests of people from the same zhuz are of primary concern.

Current development stimulates formation of a new, so-called “fourth zhuz”. It involves representatives of new economic elite of Kazakhstan. Interest groups that act on the political arena represent a segment of the state machinery. They are intertwined with the administrative power, and furthermore, they possess financial and informational resources and control certain industries.

Two interest groups that exert influence upon policy making process can be distinguished: the “institutional” and the “economic. The “institutional” group acts within the state machinery, it is recognized that the group is based on the tribal potentials. The “economic” group asserts interests of the Kazakh business elite. These two political groups strive for the increase of their influence upon the President who is the main source of power in the State.

Representatives of the political elite aim at attaining material values through the channels of political rent, while the “economic” interest groups concentrate the largest bulk of property in their hands. Groups that have no access to the sphere of public administration, have no real chance to influence the policy making process. Consequently, the circulation of the power elite is of a very closed nature.

According to the survey conducted by the Central Asian Agency for Political Research, the top three influential lobby groups in Kazakhstan are: the Governmental lobby (66.7%), groups of influence defending interests of foreign companies (61.9%), and clan lobby (38.1%).

Domination of the interest political and economic groups makes the decision making process inaccessible for other social and political actors such as political parties, non-governmental organizations, etc. In that way blood relations and personal contacts appear to be the major lobby resource.



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