(Read the full article on astanatimes.com)

Kazakhstan has managed to minimize the negative impact of the pandemic, said Assistant to the President of Kazakhstan, Chairman of the Kazakhstan Council on International Relations Erlan Karin during the meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club in Kazan, the Astana Times reported.

Despite the pandemic outbreak, the first package of political reforms, which was initiated by Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in December 2019, was fully implemented last year.

“A new law on rallies was developed and adopted. The reforms also affected the legislation on elections, parties, the Parliament and other areas, which include reducing the registration barrier for creating political parties from 40,000 to 20,000 people, introducing a 30 percent quota for women and youth on electoral party lists, and introducing the institution of parliamentary opposition. In addition, the Law of Kazakhstan “On the ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty” was signed. Moreover, the course towards reforming the political system was strengthened by the initiatives of the second and third presidential packages of political reforms. As a result, direct elections of rural districts are planned for the second half of this year in the country,” Karin said.

During 2020, important changes were made in the system of government planning and management.

The Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms was created with direct subordination to the President, and the Statistics Committee entered its subordination. Also, a transition was made from state programs to national projects in the public planning system.