ASTANA, June 20 (RIA Novosti) - Kazakhstan's president has agreed to dissolve the lower house of parliament and call early elections at the request of lawmakers, in a move to clear the way for president-sponsored reforms.
"I have decided to disband the Majilis and call early elections," Nursultan Nazarbayev said, adding that parliamentary elections were set for August 18.
Lawmakers asked the longtime leader Tuesday to dismiss them, and to call elections of a legislature to be guided by new president-proposed laws. The president said earlier the new laws would transform the ex-Soviet Central Asian state from a presidential into a presidential-parliamentary republic, handing more power to parliament and political parties.
In a request submitted to the president on June 19, lawmakers said: "The current Majlis should not slow down reform," and appealed to Nazarbayev for a "difficult but historically important decision." Regular elections were set to take place in 2009.
Nazarbayev proposed the amendments in late May, and parliament, dominated by his Nur Otan party, approved them. The amendments will cut the presidential term from seven to five years after 2012, when Nazarbayev's tenure expires, and enlarge the legislature from 77 to 107 members, and require the president to appoint the premier after consultations with political parties, and after parliamentary approval.
The president also introduced a party list voting system to the Majlis. The president can now also dissolve parliament after consulting the premier and speakers. The upper chamber is now authorized to replace the Majlis in the event of its dismissal.
Opposition forces said early elections and the new voting system would leave them with practically no chance of making it into parliament.
Opposition leaders said the initiatives were designed to improve the country's image on the international stage given its aspirations to preside in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2009, but will only help Nazarbayev tighten his grip on power. They said the changes would facilitate control over elections and prevent independent lawmakers from being elected to parliament.
During Nazarbayev's time in office, the country has posted high economic growth and relative stability stemming from vast oil and gas revenue. GDP grew 10.6% last year and 9.4% in 2005. But the country has been criticized for its democratic record.
Nazarbayev said Wednesday the Majlis's dissolution was not over a political crisis in Kazakhstan or its poor performance, but was due to the need to advance democratic reform.
