Newsroom
New law on political parties could seriously threaten political pluralism in Kazakhstan
ALMATY 17 June 2002
ALMATY, 27 June 2002 - The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Centre in Almaty is deeply concerned with the new law on political parties, approved on 26 June by the Parliament of Kazakhstan approved a new law on political parties and forwarded it to President Nazarbaev for signature.
The OSCE Centre in Almaty is particularly concerned with:
According to independent experts, only a very limited number of political parties, mostly close to the present political leadership, would be able to fulfill the new conditions. This would have grave consequences for political pluralism in Kazakhstan: practically, it could mean the abolition of opposition parties. This could seriously limit the choice of voters at future elections.
The OSCE Copenhagen Document of 1990 states:
..(7) To ensure that the will of the people serves as the basis of the authority of government, the participating States will .(7.6) - respect the right of individuals and groups to establish, in full freedom, their own political parties or other political organizations and provide such political parties and organizations with the necessary legal guarantees to enable them to compete with each other on a basis of equal treatment before the law and by the authorities.
The OSCE Centre hopes that the future development of political pluralism in Kazakhstan will be based on a broad discussion involving the civil society, as necessary for a law of such importance. The new law on political parties should be brought in line with international and OSCE standards. The OSCE Centre is prepared to provide any expertise needed to this end.
The OSCE Centre in Almaty is particularly concerned with:
- Art. 10/5 which raises the minimum number of members a party must have to register from 3,000 to 50,000 (with a minimum of 700 in each of the 14 regions and the two major cities);
- the provision that all existing political parties have to re-register under these new restrictive conditions; and
- the fact that in case of non-registration for two consecutive elections, political parties can be dissolved by court decision.
According to independent experts, only a very limited number of political parties, mostly close to the present political leadership, would be able to fulfill the new conditions. This would have grave consequences for political pluralism in Kazakhstan: practically, it could mean the abolition of opposition parties. This could seriously limit the choice of voters at future elections.
The OSCE Copenhagen Document of 1990 states:
..(7) To ensure that the will of the people serves as the basis of the authority of government, the participating States will .(7.6) - respect the right of individuals and groups to establish, in full freedom, their own political parties or other political organizations and provide such political parties and organizations with the necessary legal guarantees to enable them to compete with each other on a basis of equal treatment before the law and by the authorities.
The OSCE Centre hopes that the future development of political pluralism in Kazakhstan will be based on a broad discussion involving the civil society, as necessary for a law of such importance. The new law on political parties should be brought in line with international and OSCE standards. The OSCE Centre is prepared to provide any expertise needed to this end.