Kazakh leader limits his powers, but keeps firm grip

    Kazakhstan's autocratic President Nursultan Nazarbayev on Friday signed off on constitutional changes limiting the powers of his office, though he is expected to retain supreme authority in the Central Asian country.
    Nazarbayev's press service confirmed that the changes had been signed into law after a judicial review and parliamentary approval this week.
    "The head of state has signed the law 'On amendments and additions to the constitution of Kazakhstan'," the presidential press service said on its Twitter account.
    Among the changes is the ability for parliament to hold government members to greater account through votes of no confidence that the president can no longer override.
    The government, in turn, will gain an expanded mandate to make and revise policies without checks from the powerful presidency, which will also shed its authority to issue legally binding decrees.
    After the death of the strongman Islam Karimov in neighbouring Uzbekistan last year, Nazarbayev is the only living leader in the former Soviet Union that began his rule before the bloc's collapse.
    Analysts have said the constitutional changes will mean little as long as the oil-rich country's cabinet and parliament are stuffed with Nazarbayev loyalists.
    Last week, a female lawmaker in Nazarbayev's dominant Nur Otan party called for renaming the capital, Astana, and its airport in honour of the 76-year-old leader, who has led the country since 1989.
    The declaration set off a flurry of ridicule on social media, but it was not the first time Nazarbayev has refused parliamentary suggestions to give his name to Astana, a glitzy government project that transformed a provincial town into the capital in 1997.
    Given his growing personality cult, many feel it is only a matter of time before he concedes to the requests, Agence France Presse reported.
    The Press service of Akorda has published Nursultan Nazarbayev’ s speech at the ceremony of public signing of the Law "On Amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan," Kazpravda.kz reported.
    "Today I sign the Law on Amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which is of paramount importance to the country." The current reform is a natural result of the development of our state. We are a young nation building its statehood.
    A number of President’s authorities are delegated to other power branches. The government’s independence and responsibility for the decisions made will enhance. The Parliament will receive new powers to monitor the activities of the Government and the executive bodies. The guarantees of the inviolability of the constitutional order, sovereignty and independence of our country will be strengthened," Nazarbayev said.
    According to him, the political system will acquire a greater degree of democracy and stability.
    "At the same time, presidential form of government remains the base foundation of the Republic of Kazakhstan. When discussing the draft law, the public expressed its fears about the weakening of the presidential power, concern about the integrity of our country, stability of the state, unity and friendship of the people. The state power will become more balanced, flexible and effective," he said.
    The President thanked the task group, the Parliament and all the Kazakhstanis for "support and invaluable contribution to the implementation of the constitutional reform."
    "The updated Constitution is our answer to the challenges of the time. To achieve the strategic goal of the country’s joining the ranks of 30 world advanced nations, it is important for all the Kazakhstanis to pool their efforts.
    I am confident that together we will be able to achieve successful development of the state and our people’s prosperity in the 21^st century. The main goal of the reforms is to preserve our unity, friendship, mutual understanding, ethnic, linguistic and confessional equality of the citizens. Thanks to this cohesion, we have repeatedly won. Following these postulates, we will achieve new victories," the President said.
    He congratulated all the Kazakhstanis on the adoption of the changes to the Main Law of the country, which, in his opinion, "opens a new stage in our sovereign political history." AFP reports.