The Public
Chamber under
the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan is a consultative
body, established in order to incentive and coordinate contributions from civil
society to the law-making process.
The project was initiated by President Nazarbayev, who launched the idea
at the second Civil Society Forum, in September 2005. A first Chamber of 25
members started working in March 2006, but it was replaced by a reorganized
body in November 2007. Meant to work as a “social platform” (obshestvennaya
ploshadka) the new chamber has 30 members both from political parties and
civil society organizations.
Several politicians, also from the opposition, were invited to join the Chamber in 2007. Members included Gani Kasimov (Party of Patriots), Vladislav Kosarev (Communist Party), Altynshash Zhaganov (“Rukhaniyat”), Maksut Narikbayev (Adilet) and Mels Eleusizov (environmental fund Tabigat).[2] In presence of a one-party Mazhilis (in the August 2007 elections the pro-presidential party Nur Otan had obtained the totality of seats in the lower Chamber of the Parliament) the choice of inviting other parties’ leaders was probably made to introduce at least an element of pluralism in the legislative process. This pluralism was only symbolic, as the Chamber’s recommendations are of merely consultative nature.
Several politicians, also from the opposition, were invited to join the Chamber in 2007. Members included Gani Kasimov (Party of Patriots), Vladislav Kosarev (Communist Party), Altynshash Zhaganov (“Rukhaniyat”), Maksut Narikbayev (Adilet) and Mels Eleusizov (environmental fund Tabigat).[2] In presence of a one-party Mazhilis (in the August 2007 elections the pro-presidential party Nur Otan had obtained the totality of seats in the lower Chamber of the Parliament) the choice of inviting other parties’ leaders was probably made to introduce at least an element of pluralism in the legislative process. This pluralism was only symbolic, as the Chamber’s recommendations are of merely consultative nature.
The main objectives of the Public Chamber
are the examination of draft laws; elaborating proposals and recommendations on
developing and reviewing bills, as well as forecasting possible consequences of
making and implementing laws [2]. The Chamber has issued recommendations on the
most different law projects, regarding the protection of human rights, the
development of entrepreneurship and the elaboration of a national doctrine.
Despite its diverse composition and the
much advertised pluralist nature, the Chamber is actually dominated by
exponents of the pro-presidential party Nur Otan, who often act as chairperson.
Several times, actually, Nur Otan has been invited to exploit the potential of
the Public Chamber in order to carry on its program.
The
Public Chamber of Kazakhstan has developed a close cooperation with its Russian
equivalent, signing a memorandum of understanding in 2008 [4].
[1] This is the first of a series of posts on Kazakhstan’s less known public
institutions.
[2] http://engnews.gazeta.kz/art.asp?aid=284833.
[3] http://enu.kz/en/press/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=21657 See also Erlan Aliev, “Institutionalization
of a Chamber of Public Experts under the Parliament of Kazakhstan", UNDP 2006
