A joint session of the Kazakh parliament voted on Wednesday 7th
October in favour of early presidential elections in 1999, in
defiance of constitutional amendments proposed by President
Nursultan Nazarbayev in his annual state of the nation address
on 30th September, Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency reported.
An appeal passed by parliament also proposed increasing
the president's term from five to seven years and extending the
term of the two parliamentary chambers themselves. Other
amendments proposed included increasing the number of seats in
the upper chamber, the Senate and reducing to five per cent the
10-per-cent hurdle for parties and movements taking part in
parliamentary elections. "Only in the event that these addenda
are adopted can you count on the deputies' support," the appeal
said.
Following the vote, Nazarbayev sought an interval in
proceedings to enable him to consult the chairman of the two
chambers and his advisers. "You have put me in a very difficult
position," he told MPs.
Source: Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency, Alma-Ata, in Russian
0431 gmt 7 Oct 98
BBC Mon CAN Casia aed/jc
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