Opposition gains greater role in Kazakhstan’s new Qurultay

The deputies approved the regulations at a plenary session.

Under the rules, the parliamentary majority in the Qurultay is defined as the political party holding the largest number of parliamentary seats. In the first convocation, this is the Adilet party, which holds 110 of the Qurultay’s 145 seats.

The parliamentary opposition may be formed by one or more political parties represented in the Qurultay that are not part of the majority. Such parties generally take positions on social, economic and public-policy issues that differ from those of the majority.

In the first convocation, the other four parties represented in the Qurultay hold the following number of seats: Auyl - 10 seats, Respublica - nine, and Ak Zhol and the Nationwide Social Democratic Party (OSDP) - eight seats each.

The regulations also clarify that the parliamentary opposition may support the majority’s position on individual issues.

A deputy’s affiliation with the parliamentary opposition will be determined by the respective parliamentary factions when they are registered.

Deputy Snezhanna Imasheva provided further details on the opposition’s status while presenting the Qurultay regulations.

“Political parties represented in the Qurultay and not part of the majority may form a parliamentary opposition,” she said.

According to Imasheva, formally recognizing the opposition in the regulations does more than establish its status. It also provides concrete procedural guarantees.

The opposition will have the right to initiate hearings at least once during each parliamentary session. It will also be able to determine the agenda of a government hour at least twice per session.

In addition, the regulations provide for opposition representation in the leadership of permanent parliamentary committees.

“These provisions create institutional opportunities not only to present an alternative position but also to ensure its real inclusion in the parliamentary agenda,” Imasheva said.

The new rules come as Kazakhstan’s new legislative body establishes its committee leadership.

Deputies from the majority Adilet party were appointed to head seven of the eight committees of the new legislature.

The exception is the Committee on Agrarian Issues, which is headed by Serik Yegizbayev of the Auyl party.

Earlier, Qazinform reported the deputies of the Kazakh Qurultay had adopted regulations defining the order and timing of sessions of the new legislative body.

It was also informed that Kazakhstan’s Qurultay would consider draft laws in three readings under the new regulations.