MAJILIS ELECT CHAIRMAN AND EXPRESS CONFIDENCE IN THE GOVERNMENT
Astana, March 25, the House of the Majilis. Today the Chairman of the Central Election Commission Kuandyk Turgankulov opened the first plenary session of the Majilis. At the meeting Majilis members elected Baktykozha Izmukhambetov as Chairman of the Majilis. (The Speaker of the House was elected by secret paper ballot. To this end a counting commission was established, and voting booths and ballot boxes installed).

Up till now B. Izmukhambetov served as the Akim of Atyrau region, was elected Vice Speaker of the Majilis of Vth convocation. In various years he served as the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Akim of West Kazakhstan region.

Thanking the MPs for their confidence, Majilis Chairman B. Izmukhambetov noted that Kazakhstani people believe the strategic objectives, identified by the Head of State Nursultan Nazarbayev in the policy documents, are accurate and elaborate. As he said, it can be proved by the unprecedented voter turnout at the recent parliamentary elections.

Majilis Speaker encouraged to continue cooperation between the Government and civil society in active and coordinated work to ensure the legislative support for the President’s  initiatives.

Then, on the motion of the Speaker, Vladimir Bozhko and Gulmira Issinbayeva were elected by open vote as Deputy Chairmen. The following MPs were elected as Chairmen of the standing committees: Saparkhan Omarov – on agricultural issues, Gulnar Iksanova – on social and cultural development, Nurlan Abdirov – on legislation and judicial and legal reform, Gulzhana Karagussova – on finance and budget, Maulen Ashimbayev – on foreign affairs, defence and security, Gleb Shchegelsky – on environment and nature management, Roman Sklyar – on economic reform and regional development.

After reports by the Chairmen the Majilis also approved the composition of the Majilis committees.
In addition, Majilis members considered a vote of confidence in the Government. The House expressed confidence in the government headed by Prime Minister Karim Massimov. The Prime Minister addressed the MPs with a brief speech, in which he thanked them for their confidence and expressed his wishes for fruitful cooperation.

(Saule Bapakova - 74-63-05. Photo by Sailau Mailybayev. Distributed by the press service of the Majilis of the Republic of Kazakhstan www.parlam.kz)