Strengthening Statehood and The Development of Democracy
Decentralization of power
Dividing responsibilities and power between center and the regions We should continue with our plans for decentralization of governance to the regions.The substance of the decentralization lies in delegating the necessary resources to make decisions from the center to regional authorities. In 2013 we have to implement concrete measures for moving responsibility and powers from the center to the regions in order to strengthen local executive authorities.
Powers of the authorities on the ground will be supported by financial and human resources.
Development Concept of Local Self-governance
Citizens should be directly involved into the process of making the state decision and in helping with implementation. Through local authorities we need to provide the population with a real opportunity to independently and responsibly resolve the local- scale issues.
I have approved the Local self-governance development concept. It will allow us to increase the management quality at the rural level and expand citizens’ participation in the local-scale issues.
Election of the Rural Governors
We will provide villages, rural governors with additional powers to improve their influence on the situation in villages.
However, at the same time we need to improve public control and citizens’ influence on the situation on the ground. Therefore I decided to introduce appointment by election of the rural governors through local councils. We will start the elections in 2013.
In total 2533 governors will be elected, including governors of rural districts, villages and 50 governors of towns of regional significance.
This makes 91.7% of governors of all levels! Thus election process will cover all governors who directly work with citizens and resolve the problems on the ground. It’s now time for the citizens to get actively involved in resolving the relevant issues on the ground supporting their local authorities to do so.
I task the Government jointly with my Administration to accelerate the necessary legislative acts, and the Parliament to provide their acceptance in the priority order. We should follow the civilized path, together with the whole world and to take a course towards further democratization of the society.
We should continue our policy of strengthening the Parliaments powers.
At the same time, decentralization should not be assessed exclusively as a process of creating new bodies of power at the local level, to transfer certain powers there.
Decentralization first of all is a qualitative change of the state management system, change of the resolution system for the local-scale level.
Simultaneously, decentralization should not lead to the weakening of the vertical of power, decreasing of the executive discipline and order. We can’t let that happen. Governors on the ground, the Government should keep that under special control.
Creating a Professional State Apparatus
We expect to create a professional state apparatus, for which, according to the principles I have announced today, service to the people and State is paramount.
We should qualitatively improve the personnel of the public service through introduction of improved methods of selection and professional training.
Decision makers at the State level should meet the following requirements:
• Be accountable for not only the short-term, but also the long-term results.
• Be accountable for the multiplicative effect of the management decision.
• Align with the fair competition
rules and freedom of
entrepreneurship.
• Exclude double interpretation
of the functional duties of public servants. Clear legislative regulation of their activities.
Second Stage of the Administrative Reform
Considering the new requirements we already have started the second stage of the administrative reforms. First of all the state apparatus will be reformed. I have signed the “New Public Service” Law. This provides improvements to counter corruption, increase the transparency of the selection of public servants selection, and promote the best personnel. We will create a National Personnel Policy Commission. A principally new class of professional managers of A-class will be created, which will be responsible for implementation of certain areas of the state policy. First of all the A-class will include the Responsible Secretaries and Heads of Administrations of regional authorities, Committees’ chairmen, governors of the regions and towns. I task my Administrations to prepare a draft Order regarding qualification requirements to the A-class candidates, From now on every public servant has to demonstrate clear progression in their career through the development of skills and experience that allow as them to increase their professional level. Exceptions should be made to cover those public servants who demonstrate outstanding performance against key indicators and demonstrating clear achievement at a senior level. I task the State Service Agency to introduce by the end of 2013 this new mechanism of career promotion for state civil servants. Special consideration should be made on increasing the quality of state services. Our aim should be to signal a departure from the one-way power approaches in interaction of the state with the population towards an effective and operative provision whereby citizens and the state work together. The draft “State Services” Law has been submitted to the parliament. It should be adopted by the end of 1st quarter of 2013.
We should release the state bodies from the extrinsic functions, and increase the independence of state institutions. The Government should link its implementation with the introduction of a new mechanism of local budgets from 2014.
New system of interaction between state apparatus and business community
State apparatus should develop a new system of interaction with the business society We should not intervene in business and “lead everyone by their hands”. We should provide businesses with confidence in the future. Entrepreneurs should reckon their abilities and know that the State will not cheat but will protect. All that is requested from entrepreneurs is a fair work.
I assume that we have to, firstly, to guarantee de-facto immutability of the private property rights. Secondly, it’s necessary to guarantee the contracted liabilities protection. The liability of the State is to provide the citizens with maximal opportunities to implement their business activities. This means caring about creating the infrastructure for the homeland business.
For these aims it is necessary in 2013 to start the next stage of modernization of the national legal system.
The legislation should not only protect national interests, but synchronize with the developing international legal environment. I task the Government to adopt systemic measures to increase the competitiveness of our legal system in all its basic sectors of as the public, as the private rights.
I task the Government jointly with my Administration in 2013:
• To start reforming the Criminal as well as Criminal Proceeding legislation. An
emphasis should be made on further humanization, including decriminalization
of economic infringements;
• To prepare and submit to the Parliament drafts of 4 new Codes: Criminal
Proceedings, Criminal Executive and Administrative Infringements Code. Adopting these key legislative acts will conceptually modernize the criminal legal proceedings system and above all – the criminal policy of the State, it will raise our rights to a level, allowing to adequately react to the modern challenges.
Introducing “zero tolerance” principle towards disorder
The State should be bound to the zero tolerance policy towards disorder. Developed society starts from discipline and order everywhere: comfortable doorways, accurate backyards, clean streets and friendly faces.
We should not tolerate even the smallest infringements, hooliganism, and incivility as they disturb public order and decrease the quality of life. Feeling of disorder and permissiveness creates grounds for more serious crimes. This is why an atmosphere of intolerance to minor infringements is an important step towards enhancing social security and the fight against the crime.
We need to overcome ignorance of the law and engage society in the public order preservation process.
We need to connect destructive social behavior with employment opportunity. We must introduce punishment measures for hooligan behavior in public places that will be reflected on their criminal files and should be considered by business at employment and promotion.
This must become a normal part of public life.
Fight against corruption
The State and society should come forward against the corruption as a united team. Corruption is not just an infringement, it undermines the belief in effectiveness of the State and represents a direct threat to the national security. We should strengthen our fight against the corruption, including improving the anti-corruption legislation in order to achieve our ultimate goal – to eradicate corruption within Kazakhstan.
Reforming law enforcement bodies and special agencies
We should continue reforming the law enforcement bodies and special agencies. Without this we will not reach our aim to create “zero tolerance” towards disorder and the eradication of corruption.
In the recent three years a number of important reforms of the law enforcement bodies and special agencies were undertaken. This is an important step towards strengthen statehood. The legal basis of law enforcement bodies has been enhanced and their functions clearly defined. Duplication of their activities has been excluded, and the criminal policy humanized.
Total attestation of all law enforcement personnel has been undertaken. 12.5 thousand out of 100 thousand people has been unable to pass the test and were dismissed.
We will further continue this work.
I task my Administration jointly with the Security Council and the Government:
• To prepare an action plan to increase the pay and retirement benefits of law
enforcement employees. I task them to increase additional payments for special
ranks up to one-month salary according to their military ranks.
• To elaborate the personnel policy concept of the law enforcement bodies;
• To create a permanent personnel policy body for the law enforcement authorities based on the Supreme attestation commission;
• Create Presidential reserve of leaders of the law enforcement bodies and special agencies.
I task my Administration, Security Council jointly with the Government to establish a cross-department task group by the end of 2nd quarter of 2013 to elaborate on the draft Program of further modernization of law enforcement system. The crucial issue of legal policy is to ensure that citizens use their rights for judicial protection, which is guaranteed by the Constitution.
For that we need to simplify the process of finding justice, by eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy. With active introduction of new information technologies this will not be hard to achieve. At the same time, in order to ease the burden on courts we need to further develop institutions of outside the court dispute settlement. We need to install the mechanism that would allow settling small disputes outside the courts.
It is necessary to implement a large-scale reform of the Border Service. The aim is to improve its effectiveness, modernize its stockpile and technical capability. In this regard I task the Security Council jointly with my Administration and the Government to prepare a special development plan of the Border Service and equipment of the state frontier. Over the last 20 years Kazakhstan has matured as a full-fledged participant of international processes and we have managed to create favorable external conditions. Our priorities remain unchanged – development of partnerships with our neighbors – Russia, China, Central Asian countries as well as the USA, European Union and Asian nations.
We will further strengthen the Custom Union and the Common Economic Space. Our next aim is to create a Eurasian Economic Union in consensus with our partners whilst respecting full political sovereignty. Our balanced foreign policy means we are developing friendly and predictable relations with all states and playing a significant role in the global agenda that represents the interests of all Kazakhstan.