Khalyk Kenesi to gain legislative initiative rights - Majilis deputy

According to him, the People’s Assembly of Kazakhstan will be transformed into the Khalyk Kenesi and will be granted a constitutional status.

Along with the Parliament and the Government, Khalyk Kenesi will have the right of legislative initiative.

“Khalyk Kenesi is set to become a fundamentally new consultative structure. Unlike the Assembly, which had a public status, it will become a full-fledged state institution with its own financing, buildings and staff structure,” he said on Jibek Joly TV.

In his words, the Khalyk Kenesi will consist of 126 people - 42 representatives of ethnocultural associations, 42 - from regional maslikhats, 42 - from the Ulttyq Qurultay, as well as public activists, journalists, political scientists, and NGOs.

The new structure is expected to unite interests of ethnocultural centers, regions, and civil community.

He noted that the Khalyk Kenesi will be able to introduce legislative amendments annually, including on the issues of social policy and interethnic accord.

Speaking about constitutional reform as a whole, the deputy also highlighted the proposal to enshrine in the Basic Law the duty of every citizen to preserve nature and treat natural resources with care. The corresponding provision may be included in Article 31 of the updated Constitution of Kazakhstan.

In addition, it is proposed to establish liability for officials who conceal information that poses a threat to people’s lives and health.

According to Sergey Ponomarev, these proposals were widely supported by members of the Constitutional Reform Commission, which consists of 130 representatives from various regions, professions, and social groups.

Recall that at the V Ulttyq Qurultay in Kyzylorda, President Kassym‑Jomart Tokayev announced the development of a new consultative platform, the Khalyk Kenesi (People’s Council of Kazakhstan),