Early Presidential Elections in Kazakhstan

• 02.19.2015, 17:24
•  EEU,  World

The lower Chamber of the Kazakhstan Parliament (Mazhilis) On Fabruary 18 unanimously passed a resolution, which calls for early presidential elections. According to the schedule to presidential elections should be held in 2016, Tass reports.

On February 16, the Kazakhstan’s rulling "Nur Otan" Party expressed its support to the initiative. If the President Nazarbayev satisfy MPs’ request, after two months the decision has been published, Kazakhstan will be able to hold presidential elections.

Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev is in his position since December 1991. In 2011, he was re-elected for the fourth time. Although the Constitution does not allow the same person to be elected on the position of President more than twice, as the first President of the Republic of Kazakhstan an exception was made for Nazarbayev.

There are different opinions concerning the initiative to hold early presidential elections. Some experts think that this decision is directly linked with the internal and external problems of the country, which is indicated in the President’s message addressed to the lower Chamber of Parliament: "With regard to the growing economic crisis and the difficult International agenda the nationwide initiative to hold elections is the demand of time. The expressing of confidence to the leader of the country will  unite the people in the new phase of international developments giving an opportunity to concentrate all efforts towards the most important issues for the development of the country."