OSCE Centre supports parliamentary development in Kazakhstan
ASTANA, 6 May 2008 - Parliamentary development in Kazakhstan was the topic of a roundtable meeting organized today by the OSCE Centre in Astana jointly with the Public Foundation for Parliamentary Development in Kazakhstan.
More than 50 government representatives, Parliament members and representatives of international and non-governmental organizations discussed the involvement of civil society in the legislative processes and decision-making, with the aim of supporting development of a more transparent and accountable legislature. Participants also discussed greater public access to information related to the work of Parliament.
"It is hardly possible to build a democratic state, based on rule of law, without a stable and developed parliamentary system. In this regard, it is important to develop mechanisms of continuous participation of the civil sector in discussions and decision making by involving a wider political spectrum in the process," said Jeannette Kloetzer, Deputy Head of the Centre.
"We think that parliamentary development is a key instrument of internal and external policy of the states," said Kairat Sarybai, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, during the roundtable discussion. "The aspiration of Kazakhstan to host a session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly on its soil also clearly confirms the growing role of the parliament in the state structure."
The meeting is a part of the Centre's activities aimed at promoting democratic development in Kazakhstan, and similar events are slated to take place this year.