Kazakhstan has legalized the
institution of petitions. The Senate, an Upper House of the Kazakh Parliament,
approved the draft law on public control in two readings with accompanying
amendments, which provides for ensuring the participation of citizens in managing
state affairs as well as transparency and openness of the activities of the
country’s facilities. As noted by Senate members, it is necessary to get
signatures from 2,500 to 50,000 people, depending on the governance level, for
state bodies to consider a petition of Kazakh citizens. The document also
defines such concepts as the object and subject of public control. The latter
will have the right to create groups, attract experts, request information and
appeal against the actions or inactions of public control objects.
“There are types of public
control, including public monitoring, hearings and expertise. According to the
Constitution, a Kazakh citizen is eligible to take part in all these three processes.
The actions of subjects and objects of
public control are also regulated. Subjects are citizens, non-profit
organizations and other entities, while objects include central state bodies, local
executive authorities, quasi-public sector as well as bodies that perform public
functions such as clinics, schools and others,” said Daniyar Kadirov, Kazakh
Vice Minister of Culture and Information.
