Koshanov shares his vision about his participation in presidential elections

Erlan Koshanov, head of the ruling political party in Kazakhstan Amanat and speaker of the Mazhilis, is not going to take part in future presidential elections.

«I’ve never thought about that and do not plan to take part in the presidential elections,» he said while being asked about future elections.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev won the presidential elections in June 2019. His term expires in 2024. On April 26, at the urgent meeting of the Amanat political party, Tokayev resigned from the position of the party’s chairman and quit the party. He suggested the candidacy of Erlan Koshanov, speaker of the Mazhilis as the new chairman of the party. Delegates have supported the initiative.

According to Koshanov, the level of political competition in the country will intensify after the president quit the party.

«No doubt this will cause quite a significant impact on the party. We have to compete for seats in the parliament as all other political parties do. This decision will increase the level of political competition. Amanat is a ruling party and Amanat is ready for the political race,» he said. Koshanov also added that he can’t see any legal conflicts in the fact that he holds two positions simultaneously.

The speaker also said that the issue of the dissolution of the parliament is not a topic for discussion.

«So far, we haven’t discussed this question. But the president announced political reforms and we have to approve all relevant constitutional and other laws by the end of this year,» he noted.

He also shared his vision about possible amendments to the Constitution.

«These amendments will eliminate the status of Elbasy (an official status of Ex-President Nursultan Nazarbayev). Nazarbayev’s role as the founder of modern Kazakhstan will be written in the Constitution while all other rules about the first president will be gone. At the moment, these constitutional amendments are considered by the Constitution Council. There is an article about ex-presidents in the Constitution. This article is going to stay and will be applied to the first president as well. I’m not sure whether these amendments are going to be approved by the parliament or by the people via referendum. Concerning Nursultan Nazarbayev, I can say that under our legislation the government is going to cover all his expenditures, guarantee him retirement payments and protection of honor and dignity,» said Koshanov.

On February 1, Koshanov was appointed as the new chairman of the Mazhilis.

Erlan Koshanov was born in 1962 in the city of Karaganda. He graduated from Karaganda Polytechnic Institute in 1984 and Kazakh State Academy of Public Management in 1999. He worked as a locksmith and then a foreman at the Jezkazgan Metallurgical Plant. During his political career, Koshanov served as a Senate deputy, vice-minister of transport and communications, head of the Committee of Civil Aviation, chairman of the prime minister’s office and head of the Karaganda region. Right before the new nomination, he was the head of the president’s executive office.