Daily Times

President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is leading his country towards democracy with the right steps. This is evidenced by the reforms of the leader of the state; covering many spheres of the political, economic, and, most importantly, the social life of the country. Being a competent politician with extensive experience in the field of international relations, Tokayev, of course, enjoys the high confidence of the citizens of Kazakhstan. It is not surprising that for many years of his career, he held important positions in the government of the country: he worked in the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs; after Kazakhstan gained independence, he was the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deputy and Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, was twice elected Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic, and the Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly and the OSCE in 2008.

In March 2011, Tokayev was appointed Deputy Secretary-General of the UN, Director-General of the UN Office in Geneva, as well as the Personal Representative of the UN Secretary-General at the Conference on Disarmament, and also served as Secretary General of the Conference on Disarmament, was elected Chairman of the Councils of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the CIS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. In March 2019, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev took the oath as the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and in June of the same year, he won the early presidential elections, gaining 70.96 per cent of the vote. As many of my colleagues, international observers and experts who were present in Kazakhstan, noted, a positive assessment by the population of Tokayev’s work as Head of State and great hope was associated with him.

Kazakhstan adheres to the course of a peaceful and multi-vector policy, and has friendly relations with all countries of the world.

The tragic events that resulted from the violent riots in January showed the President of Kazakhstan as a strong leader to whom the people unconditionally entrusted their fate. He coped with this task superbly, leaving the instigators and puppeteers behind the riots out of work. His decisions made it possible to pass the crisis in the shortest possible time and get out of it with minimal losses. It is also important that under the leadership of Tokayev, Kazakhstan adheres to the course of a peaceful and multi-vector policy, and has friendly relations with all countries of the world. The reforms of the current president are aimed not only at a radical transformation of the country’s political system but also at the democratization of Kazakhstani society as a whole. Many of them are truly loud, representing the beginning of a new era in the country’s history.

For example, the constitutional reform adopted in June at a national referendum affects the most important spheres of life and activity of the citizens of Kazakhstan. Thus, according to the amendments to the Constitution, Kazakhstan is moving from a super-presidential form of government, and the role of the Parliament has been strengthened by transferring powers.

In a recent decree issued, relatives of the president are prohibited from holding high government positions. Provisions on the special role and privileges of the First President of Kazakhstan are also excluded. This position was especially well accepted by the opposition forces of the country, who repeatedly opposed the “cult of personality of Elbasy” that was formed in their opinion. Accepted with great enthusiasm by the public and the death penalty abolition. Among other articles of the reform, were the formation of the Majilis deputies on a mixed electoral system, and the reduction of the presidential quota in the Senate. The changes are significant since, for example, the majority system allows you to recall a deputy at the request of voters. An article is fixed that the land and its bowels should belong to the people.

The President of the UN General Assembly, Abdullah Shahid, who paid an official visit to Kazakhstan on August 11 of this year, highly appreciated Tokayev’s reforms. According to him, the ongoing democratic reforms will bring the protection of human rights and the development of civil society in Kazakhstan to a completely new level. September 13-15 this year, the country will host a global event, the next Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, which indicates a favorable inter-confessional and inter-religious environment in Kazakhstan. Thus, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan expressed gratitude to the UN for the consistent support of Congress. In turn, the Chairman of the General Assembly noted that the upcoming event is the most important platform and highly appreciated the level of the future event.

Being an adherent of the ideas of the UN, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan has repeatedly emphasized the special role of the World Organization in promoting global peace, security, and sustainable development. At a meeting with A. Shahid, the Kazakh leader, highly appreciated the forthcoming September of this year. The 77th session of the General Assembly is a “unique opportunity for world leaders to come together in a constructive atmosphere to propose the most sought-after solutions for all mankind.”

In general, the concept of the “Listening State” developed by Tokayev as President of Kazakhstan shows him as a far-sighted strategist and progressive politician. Thanks to the current Head of State’s work, a culture of rallies began to form in the country, the population speaks openly about their problems, communication has been established between the authorities and the people, and, importantly, public confidence has increased.

The writer is Founder (Friends of BRI Forum)