Venice Commission: Constitutional reform clear step forward for Kazakhstan

ASTANA. KAZINFORM - Chairman of the Constitutional Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan Igor Rogov revealed at the joint session of the Kazakh Parliament chambers on Monday that the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) believes that Kazakhstan is going in the right direction with its constitutional reform, Kazinform reports.

Mr Rogov noted that last year Kazakhstan has seen a number of historic milestones and constitutional evolution in 2017 after the adoption of the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan".

In his words, the constitutional reform is another step on the path of gradual all-round transformation of Kazakhstani society and state. It will help Kazakhstan enter the world's 30 most developed countries, implement five institutional reforms and become globally competitive.

According to Rogov, the Venice Commission shared its opinion on the amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan at the 110th Plenary Session in Venice on March 10, 2017.

"The proposed constitutional amendments represent a step forward in the process of democratization of the state. Revision of the competencies of the branches of power and setting up a system of checks and balances is a difficult task many aspects of these efforts can only be assessed over time, when practical experience has revealed the most appropriate approach, taking into account historical development and traditions, societal development, the society's attitude towards the processes around, as well as international developments. But there can be no doubt that the reform goes in the right direction and constitutes a clear step forward," members of the commission said.