Kazakstan Government 1997

Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Kazakstan
conventional short form: Kazakstan
local long form : Qazaqstan Respublikasy
local short form: none
former: Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic

Data code KZ

Government type republic

National capital Almaty (according to a September 1995 presidential decree, the capitalis to be moved to Aqmola)

Administrative divisions 16 oblystar (singular - oblys) and 1 city (qalalar, singular - qala)*;Almaty Qalasy*, Almaty Oblysy, Aqmola Oblysy, Aqtobe Oblysy, Atyrau Oblysy,Batys Qazaqstan Oblysy (Oral), Mangghystau Oblysy (Aqtau), Ongtustik QazaqstanOblysy (Shymkent), Pavlodar Oblysy, Qaraghandy Oblysy, Qostanay Oblysy, QyzylordaOblysy, Shyghys Qazaqstan Oblysy (Oskemen; formerly Ust'-Kamenogorsk), SoltustikQazaqstan Oblysy (Petropavl), Taldyqorghan Oblysy, Torghay Oblysy, ZhambylOblysy (Taraz)
note: on 3 May 1997, President NAZARBAYEV that the total number of oblastswould be reduced to 14; administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name followingin parentheses)

Independence 16 December 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

National holiday Independence Day, 25 October (1991); Republic Day, 16 December (1991)

Constitution adopted by national referendum 30 August 1995; first post-independenceconstitution was adopted 28 January 1993

Legal system based on civil law system

Suffrage 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
chief of state: President Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV (chairman of the Supreme Soviet from22 February 1990-91, president since 1 December 1991); State Secretary AbishKEKILDAYEV (since 30 October 1996) is second in rank to the president
head of government: Prime Minister Akezhan KAZHEGELDIN (since 12 October 1994) and FirstDeputy Prime Minister Akhmetzhan YESIMOV (since 24 October 1996)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections : president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election lastheld 1 December 1991 (next to be held NA 2000); note - President NAZARBAYEV'sterm was extended to the year 2000 by a nationwide referendum held 30 April1995; state secretary (created by presidential decree) is appointed by thepresident; prime minister and first deputy prime minister appointed by thepresident
election results: Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV elected president without opposition; percentof vote - NA
note: President NAZARBAYEV has expanded his presidential powers by decree:only he can initiate constitutional amendments, appoint and dismiss the government,dissolve parliament, call referenda at his discretion, and appoint administrativeheads of regions and cities

Legislative branch bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (47 seats; 7 senators areappointed by the president; other members are popularly elected, two each from each oblast and Almaty, to serve four-year terms) and the Majilis (67seats; members are popularly elected to serve four-year terms); note - withthe oblasts being reduced to 14, the Senate will eventually be reduced to37
elections: Senate - (indirect) last held 5 December 1995 (next to be held NA 1999);Majilis - last held 9 December and 23 December 1995 (next to be held NA 1999)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - party members13, no party affiliation 34, of which "independent" state officials 25, nominatedby the president 7, elected by popular vote 15; Majilis - percent of voteby party - NA; seats by party - party members 22, no party affiliation 45

Judicial branch Supreme Court (44 members); Constitutional Council (7 members)

Political parties and leaders Alash National Freedom Party party [Aron ATABEK]; People's Unity Partyor PUP (was Union of People's Unity) [Akhan BIZHANOV, chairman]; Democratic Party [Tulegen ZHUKEYEV and Altynbek SARSENBAYEV, cochairmen]; People's Congressof Kazakstan or NKK [Olzhas SULEYMENOV, chairman]; AZAMAT Movement [Petr SVOIK,Murat AUEZOV, and Galym ABILSAITOV, cochairmen]; Communist Party or KPK [SerikbolsynABDILDIN, first secretary]; National Democratic Party [Kamal ORMANTAYEV, chairman];AZAT party [Toleubek KARAMENDIN, chairman]; Labor movement [Madel ISMAILOV,chairman]; Peasant Union of the Republic Kazakstan or KPU; Republican People'sSlavic Movement-Harmony or Lad [Aleksander SAMARKIN, chairman]; Party forSocial Justice and Economic Revival "Tagibat"; Social Democratic Party ofKazakstan or SDPK [Dos KUSHIMOV, cochairman]; People's Cooperative Party [UmirzakSARSENOV, chairman]; Organization of Veterans; Republican Party; Russian Center[Nina SIDOROVA, chairwoman]; Russian Cossacks [Vladimir DESYATOV, head (ataman)];Pensioners Movement or Pokoleniye [Irina SAVOSTINA, chairwoman]

Political pressure groups and leaders Independent Trade Union Center [Leonid SOLOMIN, president]; Kazakstani-AmericanBureau on Human Rights [Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS, executive director]; DemocraticCommittee on Human Rights [Baretta YERGALIEVA, chairwoman]; Independent MinersUnion [Victor GAIPOV, president]; The Almaty-Helsinki Foundation for HumanRights [Ninel FOKINA, chairwoman]; Legal Development of Kazakstan [VitaliyVORONOV, chairman]

International organization participation AsDB, CCC, CIS, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFC,ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NACC, OIC, OSCE, PFP, UN,UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Bolat K. NURGALIYEV
chancery: (temporary) 3421 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 333-4504 through 4507
FAX: [1] (202) 333-4509

Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission : Ambassador A. Elizabeth JONES
embassy: 99/97 Furmanova Street, Almaty, Republic of Kazakstan 480012
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [7] (3272) 63-39-21, 50-76-23, 50-76-26
FAX : [7] (3272) 63-38-83

Flag description sky blue background representing the endless sky and a gold sun with32 rays soaring above a golden steppe eagle in the center; on the hoist sideis a "national ornamentation" in yellow

NOTE: The information regarding Kazakstan on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Kazakstan Government 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Kazakstan Government 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.