Kazakhstan president dissolves parliament
The President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev today announced the dissolution of the lower chamber of the country's parliament and called for early elections scheduled for August 18, 2007. The move follows an appeal from the lawmakers themselves. Legislators said that the president-sponsored and approved amedments to the Constitution that regulate the operation of the parliament should come into effect as soon as possible. Under the laws, it could only happen in 2009, when general elections were to take place.
The parliament cannot dissolve itself, according to the authors of the appeal. So the president had to take "a historical decision" and dissolve the lower chamber so that the latter would "not become a hurdle for the reforms".
The constitutional reform proposed by President Nazarbayev strengthens the powers of the parliament and restricts the presidential powers, reports the Russian news agency RIA Novosti. At the same time, Nazarbayev has been granted the right to run for the country's presidency unlimited number of times, under one of the amendments to the Constitution.
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The parliament cannot dissolve itself, according to the authors of the appeal. So the president had to take "a historical decision" and dissolve the lower chamber so that the latter would "not become a hurdle for the reforms".
The constitutional reform proposed by President Nazarbayev strengthens the powers of the parliament and restricts the presidential powers, reports the Russian news agency RIA Novosti. At the same time, Nazarbayev has been granted the right to run for the country's presidency unlimited number of times, under one of the amendments to the Constitution.
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