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Kazakhstan dissolves lower house of parliament, holds election in March

Xinhua, January 21, 2016 Adjust font size:

Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev dissolved the lower house of parliament on Wednesday, and an early parliamentary election will be held on Mar. 20, according to the press service of Kazakhstan presidential office Akorda.

"Today I have signed a decree to dissolve the Majilis of the Parliament of the fifth convocation. Early elections to the Majilis are scheduled for March 20, 2016," said Nazarbayev in a national television address. He also urged the Kazakh people to support the decision on an early election to the Majilis, or the lower house of the parliament.

Nazarbaeyv said he received a request from the Majilis at the beginning of this month to hold an early election. During the a national discussions in the following days, it became clear that public opinion is in support of an early election. He praised the members of Majilis for making this request, saying it was proof of their sense of duty to the country.

The head of state also discussed the matter with Prime Minister Karim Massimov, Head of Presidential Administration Nurlan Nigmatulin, and Chairman of the Constitutional Council Igor Rogov.

On Jan. 13, Kazakhstan's Majilis made a public call for Nazarbayev to dissolve the legislative body and hold an early election. The request came from members of the ruling Nur Otan party as well as minority parties like Ak Zhol party and Communist people's party of Kazakhstan, who said in a statement that an early election will help the country to better achieve its strategic goal and overcome its current economic difficulties.

On Monday, many minority groups in Kazakhstan made public statements in support of an early election, saying a new Majilis would better serve the development of Kazakhstan economy and society.

The current fifth Majilis was elected in 2012 in which Nazarbayev's Nur Otan party won an overwhelming 80 percent of the votes, securing 83 of the 98 electable seats.

According to Kazakhstan's election rules, any party that wins more than 7 percent of the votes will enter the Majilis. If only one party won more than 7 percent, then the party winning the second most of the votes will enter Majilis. Currently Ak Zhol party and Communist people's party of Kazakhstan are the two other parties in Majilis. Enditem