(MENAFN) Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Monday suggested establishing a one-chamber legislature in the nation in the “foreseeable future.”

Delivering his yearly speech to the nation at the parliament in Astana, Tokayev laid out his perspective on parliamentary changes, stressing that such reform would bring a “serious positive impact” on the path of the country’s social and economic progress.

He reflected on the Senate, the higher chamber of parliament set up in 1995, noting it was formed under “rather difficult, unstable political conditions,” but nonetheless fulfilled its role of “ensuring the stability of state building.”

Tokayev recalled that he had the chance to lead the Senate for a decade, but stated, “despite this, I will nevertheless make a proposal today to create a unicameral parliament in our country in the foreseeable future.”

The head of state cautioned that this reform is a “very serious issue” and requires broad debate within civil society, the expert community, and the current legislature.

“I believe that the discussion, given the extraordinary nature of the reform, will take at least a year, after which a national referendum could be held in 2027, and then the necessary changes could be made to the Constitution,” he remarked.

He also underlined that if consensus is reached on forming a one-chamber parliament, then in his view, it should be chosen solely via party lists.

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