Snap presidential elections meet people's will and promote adherence to democratic principles
Our society perceives Nursultan Nazarbayev as a founder of the sovereign state, and a leader who ensures the country's steady development, successful implementation of political and economic reforms, safeguarding interethnic and interfaith peace in our multinational state.
Over a distance of 20 years of independence Nursultan Nazarbayev has been enjoying high level of people's confidence. In 2010 President's confidence rating made 96.7%. 93.5% of Kazakhstan people assessed the merits of Nursultan Nazarbayev. The President gained the nationwide support in the 1995 referendum, won by an overwhelming majority the 1999 and 2005 elections.
To date Kazakhstan embarks on an overriding, by all means, an intricate stage of its development. The 2020 Strategic Plan targets economic diversification through forced industrial and innovation development. Corresponding programs were elaborated to have those tasks solved. The programs are called to dramatically change the structure of the country's economy, make its development irrespective of constantly changing situation at the energy and metal markets, to substantially raise the people's living standards.
Being conscious of significance of keeping to the course charted the overwhelming majority of Kazakhstan people want incumbent President Nursultan Nazarbayev to stay in power. Besides, the people are confident that Nursultan Nazarbayev will steadily follow the deliberate home policy, including in the area of interethnic relations, which, in its turn, helps safeguard social and political stability.
An initiative of a number of public figures on holding a referendum to extend the president's mandate has emerged for a reason. It expressed the will of the people of Kazakhstan standing for reforms, preservation of stability and accelerated socio-economic development.
That's why above 5 mln people, majority of political parties, public societies and NGOs voiced their support to this idea. A nationwide coalition of democratic forces "Kazakhstan 2020" founded in support of the Head of State is called to consolidate political and social forces. It brought together above 600 NGOs, including 5 political parties.
Deputies of the Parliament came forward with an initiative to insert amendments to the Constitution to extend powers of the incumbent President by the national referendum. On January 6, 2011 the Head of State rejected this initiative. Nevertheless the corresponding law was enacted. Later, the Constitutional Council declared this law out of line with the Constitution.
In this intricate situation Nursultan Nazarbayev has personally shouldered the burden of historic responsibility and made a decision to call early presidential elections. This step bespeaks the country is motivated by democratic principles and long-term interests of people in making far-reaching decisions. Despite, unprecedented wide public activity in support of the referendum, people's appeals and argumentation of the referendum, the Kazakh President yielded precedence to plebiscite and came to the decision to call elections. Nursultan Nazarbayev called the early presidential election as a formula "that consults the will of our people and promotes adherence to democratic principles." This strategic decision once again proved shrewdness, political foresight and wisdom of the 1st President of Kazakhstan.
Nursultan Nazarbayev has always been an active supporter of the democratic trend. As President stated, the democratic reforms are the key factor to further economic recovery.
As a result, an unprecedented political reform was carried out in 2007. The Head of State supported by the country and having authority abroad on his own initiative devolved considerable part of his power on the Parliament. Fundamental character and system approach indicate strongly President's intention to facilitate irreversibility of the process of democratization in Kazakhstan.
The collection of signatures campaign manifested high level support voiced for Nursultan Nazarbayev and the pursued course. Therefore, no one doubts about the outcomes of the forthcoming presidential elections called for April 3. People that put their signatures in favor of the referendum will certainly cast their votes for incumbent President Nursultan Nazarbayev.