In his address to the nation, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said that Kazakhstanis will get the right to elect mayors of towns and heads of districts (akims).
What did Tokayev say about elected positions? The president said that citizens should play an important role in making decisions at the level of local executive power.
«It’s important to be consistent in expanding the role of citizens in the decision-making process at the regional level. It’s been more than two years since Kazakhstanis started to take part in elections of heads of villages, settlements and rural districts. And now is the right time to test the elections of heads of districts and cities of regional significance,» Tokayev stated.
The president also pointed out the shortage of specialists. As he noted, there is huge public demand for new approaches, innovative ideas and fresh blood in public administration.
«This is why we are going to create a reserve of public servants that will let us easily find a prepared officials whenever needed. This is very important amid the acute shortage of personnel. There are plenty of those who want to gain a senior position but don’t meet the requirements,» the president said.
He also highlighted that the country needs highly qualified specialists, and human resources of domestic political parties might be helpful.
When did Tokayev first speak about the akim elections? In September 2020, President Tokayev announced the initiative of direct elections of rural akims for the first time during his address to the nation. In 2021, he said that after akim elections in rural areas, the country was ready to adopt district-wide elections. According to him, the country needed a new incentive to give people more power in terms of their influence on the political system and decision-making process.
Until the election law was amended on May 24, 2021, elections for district akims were indirect. This means that heads of small towns of district significance were elected by members of local municipal assemblies rather than voters themselves.
