The Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan organized an expert discussion on the topic: «Political reforms: the stage of systemic changes».
Leading experts in the field of social sciences, political scientists, public figures and representatives of academic environment attended the event.
The first session started from the discussion of the specifics and importance of the 2023 elections, an assessment of the impact of systematic changes, that have occured within the framework of implemented political reforms.
The meeting was attended by the State Counsellor of the Republic of Kazakhstan Erlan Karin. In his speech, the State Counsellor noted, that the current electoral period is one of the key elements of the political transformation. The basis for a systemic reboot of the political system and the conduct of the current parliamentary elections was last year’s Address of the President in March. Within the framework of given document, conditions were created for the development of party competition and the opportunity for citizens to be nominated as a candidate for deputies of the Majilis and maslikhats independently over the year. In addition, the State Counsellor stressed that the ongoing political transformation has affected all key institutions and contributes to the development of pluralism.
According to the speakers, political reforms have provided an opportunity for the transformation of electoral culture and the growth of civic engagement in the country. Experts say that this election campaign will be the final stage of modernization of state institutions. The complex of political reforms affected all levels of representative government and created conditions for the renewal of the entire system. On the eve of the elections, the main actors of the current election campaign – political parties – were joined by new parties created already according to new requirements. It is also an indicator that political reforms have given a powerful impetus to party building in Kazakhstan.
At the second session, the experts discussed political responsibility and patriotism on the path of renewal of civil society. According to the speakers, in modern society, it is political culture that can become a unifying factor of society. Therefore, these elections will be a manifestation of changes in society and the transformation of the political system, becoming an important stage in the process of modernization of government institutions.
