National holiday: Independence Day, 16 December (1991)
Constitution: adopted 28 January 1993; has been amended in April 1995 and August 1995
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV (since 22 February
1990) was elected chairman of the Supreme Soviet 22 February 1990,
and president by popular election 1 December 1991; was elected for a
five-year term by universal suffrage; election last held 1 December
1991 (next to be held NA 2000); results - Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV
ran unopposed; note - President NAZARBAYEV's term was extended to
the year 2000 by a nationwide referendum held 30 April 1995
head of government: Prime Minister Akezhan KAZHEGELDIN (since 12
October 1994) and First Deputy Prime Ministers Nigmatzhan ISINGARIN
(since 12 October 1994) were appointed by the president
cabinet: Council of Ministers was appointed by the prime minister
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 administrative heads of regions and cities
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament
Senate: elections (indirect) last held 5 December 1995 (next to be
held NA 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (47
total) "independent" state officials 25, progovernment parties 11,
other parties 2, vacant 9 (of which 7 are to be nominated by the
president)
Majilis: elections last held 9 December and 23 December 1995 (next
to be held NA); percent of vote by party NA; seats - (67 total)
seats by party NA; note - 172 candidates were forwarded by parties
and social organizations and 113 candidates were independents
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: ALASH party; People's Unity Party
(PUP; was Union of People's Unity), Akhan BIZHANOV, chairman;
Democratic Party, Tulegen ZHUKEYEV and Altynbek SARSENBAYEV,
cochairmen; People's Congress of Kazakstan (PCK), Olzhas SULEYMENOV,
chairman; Socialist Party of Kazakstan (SPK; former Communist
Party), Petr SVOIK, chairman; Communist Party, Baidabek TULEPBAYEV;
National Democratic Party, Kamal ORMANTAYEV, chairman; AZAT party,
Khasen KOZH-AKHMET, chairman; Confederation of Trade Unions of the
Republic of Kazakstan; Peasant Union of the Republic Kazakstan
(KPU); Slavic Movement LAD, Aleksandra DOKUCHAYEVA, chairman; Party
for Social Justice and Economic Revival "Tagibat"; Social Democratic
Party, Dos KUSHIMOV, cochairman; People's Cooperative Party, Umirzak
SARSENOV, chairman; Organization of Veterans; Republican Party
Other political or pressure groups: Independent Trade Union
Center, Leonid SOLOMIN, president; Kazakstani-American Bureau on
Human Rights, Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS, executive director; Democratic
Committee on Human Rights; Independent Miners Union
International organization participation: AsDB, CCC, CIS, EBRD,
ECE, ECO, ESCAP, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NACC, OIC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)