Dear compatriots! In accordance with the Constitution, after consultations with the chairmen of the chambers of Parliament and the Prime Minister, I signed decrees on the dissolution of the Majilis and the early termination of the powers of maslikhats. I thank the deputies for their active and fruitful work. Deputies of the Mazhilis and maslikhats were at the epicenter of the large-scale reforms being carried out in the country. We regularly met with voters, traveled to the most remote areas, set the tone for public discussions, raising urgent issues of citizens. I express the hope that the renewed composition of deputies will continue to work in the same format and give a new impetus to the comprehensive modernization of our country. Extraordinary elections of deputies of the Mazhilis will be held on March 19, 2023. Elections of deputies of maslikhats of all levels will be appointed by the Central Election Commission. As you know, last year in my September Address I openly proposed holding elections to the Mazhilis and maslikhats in the first half of this year. Thus, the period from the date of promulgation of this initiative to the voting day will be more than six months. During the years of Independence, candidates and political parties have never had so much time to prepare for the election campaign. The holding of early elections to the Mazhilis and maslikhats is dictated by the logic of the constitutional reform, supported by citizens in a national referendum. Based on its results, our country has switched to new, more fair and competitive rules for the formation of a representative branch of government. Now 70% of the deputies of the Majilis will be elected from party lists, and 30% from single-mandate constituencies. According to the mixed electoral system, in the ratio of 50 to 50, elections to maslikhats of regions and cities of republican significance will also be held. And in elections to maslikhats of districts and cities of regional significance, citizens will vote only for candidates in single-member districts. The new model for the formation of the Majilis and maslikhats will fully protect the interests of voters both at the national and regional levels, and will provide a wide range of views in the representative bodies of power. This will create favorable conditions for the further development of civil society. As part of the implementation of the constitutional reform, the procedure for registering political parties was also significantly simplified. In particular, the registration threshold has been reduced four times, from 20 to 5 thousand members. The minimum number of regional representations of parties was reduced from 600 to 200 people. As a result of these and other systemic measures, several new political parties have been registered in our country for the first time in a long time. In addition, the earlier decision to introduce the “against all” column on the ballot papers was of fundamental importance. A serious step in the democratization of the country was the reduction of the bar from 7 to 5% for parties to enter the Majilis. Another important innovation for ensuring the inclusiveness of the electoral process was the legislative fixing of a 30 percent quota for women, youth and persons with special needs in the distribution of deputy mandates. All these institutional changes will intensify political competition, ensure the openness of the political system, and contribute to the emergence of a new cohort of politicians. Territorial election commissions play an important role in organizing and conducting elections. Therefore, in order to improve the quality of all election procedures, regional election commissions have been transferred to a professional basis. The Central Electoral Commission and the General Prosecutor's Office will exercise strict control over the observance of the law, transparency and fairness of the upcoming elections. The electoral process will be closely monitored by domestic and international observers. Here the activity of citizens plays an important role. All candidates and parties, in accordance with the law, will have equal access to the media. I am sure that this election campaign will demonstrate a high level of political culture and will contribute to the consolidation of our society. We have entered a new era in the development of Kazakhstan. The country is undergoing a dynamic and comprehensive renewal process. These elections will become the embodiment of the changes taking place in society and will give a powerful impetus to the further modernization of our political system. Today there are not so many states in the world that carry out such large-scale transformations. Elections to the Majilis and maslikhats will be the final stage in the reboot of state institutions and will fill the formula "a strong President - an influential Parliament - an accountable Government" with real content. Together we have to overcome complex challenges and solve many important tasks on the way to building a Just Kazakhstan. I urge everyone to show civic responsibility and take an active part in the elections to the Mazhilis and maslikhats.