Kazakh CC takes over presid appeal on amending constitution.

17/1 Tass 66

ASTANA, January 17 (Itar-Tass) - The Constitutional Council (CC) of
Kazakhstan has taken over an appeal by the country's President of the
consideration of amendments to the constitution.
According to the press service of the Council, President Nursultan
Nazarbayev has not signed the amendments to the constitution for a
referendum on the extension of the office term of incumbent head of state
until 2020, and sent them to the Constitutional Council. Now the Council
will start examination of the appeal under the law "On the introduction of
amendments and additions to the constitution."
Earlier, Nazarbayev refused from the proposal made by the parliament
to hold a referendum on amendments to the republic's Constitution over a
probable extension of the term of the incumbent president without the
general elections until 2020, according to official media reports. "I turn
down the proposal initiated by the Kazakh parliament under Article 54
Clause 2 Point 3 of the Kazakh Constitution to put on a republican
referendum several amendments in the Kazakh Constitution. The decree comes
into effect starting from the signing day," the presidential decree runs.
The republican Central Election Commission registered an application
of the initiative group to hold a referendum on December 27, 2010. The
Republican Assembly put forward this initiative at a meeting in
Ust-Kamenogorsk on December 23. Some 850 delegates from 14 Kazakh regions,
including Astana and Almaty, participated in the meeting.
The parliamentary appeal noted that Nazarbayev's extended presidency
"is needed for a future stable development of the country, a higher
competitiveness in the world, the well-being and prosperity of Kazakhstan."
The Senate supported the initiative for the referendum. With the name
of Nazarbayev "we link all the achievements of modern Kazakhstan. Our
country succeeded to turn into a successful country with the developed
market economy and the high authority in the international community for a
short period of time in terms of history," Senate Speaker Kasym-Zhomart
Tokayev noted.
At least 200,000 citizens are to sign up for a referendum. Some
2,000,590 Kazakh citizens have signed up so far, according to official
reports.
Nazarbayev rules the country for more than 20 years. His presidential
term expires in 2012.
-0-ezh/ast


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