Members of public councils in Kazakhstan can be expelled early

The draft law on Public Councils will help to specify the list of grounds for early exclusion of members of public councils from their composition.

Bolat Tlepov, Vice Minister of Information and Social Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, presented the main provisions of the draft law "On Amendments and Additions to Certain Legislative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the Activities of Public Councils" at a round table in the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The event was attended by MPs, heads of public councils of central and local government bodies, representatives of government agencies, NGOs and experts.

The chairman of the Committee on Legislation and Judicial and Legal Reform Kanat Musin noted the socio-political importance of the bill.

“According to our citizens, the Public Councils took place as an independent and important institution for the expression of public opinion and dialogue between society and the authorities,” the deputy stressed.

The bill proposes a unified approach to establishing the quantitative composition at the local level and quantitative parameters of the composition of public councils at the republican level.

It is proposed to establish normatively the procedure for organizing and conducting public hearings, public expertise, public monitoring, reports of heads of state bodies.

“Public councils are invited to provide an opportunity, if necessary, to attract independent experts to carry out various forms of public control. The draft law establishes a mechanism for interaction between the state and public councils by defining an authorized body in the field of public councils, whose competence will include the coordination and methodological support of the activities of public councils. This body will also be empowered to prepare and submit to the Head of State an annual National Report on the activities of public councils, ”said Bolat Tlepov, Vice Minister of Information and Public Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

It should be noted that there are 234 public councils at various levels in Kazakhstan. At the republican level - 18 public councils, at the regional level - 216 councils (17 - at the level of regions, in Nur-Sultan and Almaty, Shymkent 199 - at the level of cities and districts.