Kazakh Parl removes restrictions on presidential terms for Nazarbaye

Moscow, May 18 (UNI) Kazakh Parliament at a joint session today approved amendments to the Constitution, removing restrictions on the consecutive Presidential terms for President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

''Given the first Kazakh President's historical role, we have decided to approve lawmakers' proposals to lift restrictions on the number of consecutive presidential terms for him,'' head of the Parliamentary Commission on Constitutional amendments Yermek Zhumbayev said.

''The law would only be valid for Mr Nazarbayev, not for future presidents,'' RIA Novosti quoted Mr Zhumbayev as saying.

Simultaneously Parliament, dominated by pro-presidential parties, approved in a second and final reading, Mr Nazarbayev proposed amendments to the Constitution, reducing the Presidential term from seven to five years after 2012, just after Mr Nazarbayev's term ends.

Mr Nazarbayev, who has ruled the oil-rich former Soviet Central Asian republic for 18 years, also proposed a series of Constitutional amendments aimed at transforming the country from a Presidential republic into a Presidential-Parliamentary one by giving more power to Parliament and political parties.

Mr Nazarbayev increased the strength of Parliament from 116 to 154 members and introduced a party list voting system to the Majlis, the Lower House.

The President can now also dissolve Parliament after consulting the Prime Minister and speakers. The Upper House of Parliament is now authorised to replace the Majlis in the event of its dissolution.

The Opposition slammed the amendments, saying the party list voting system would facilitate control over elections and prevent independent lawmakers from being elected to Parliament.

UNI