ALMATY, MARCH 5 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Kazakhstan’s parliament officially approved changes to the country’s constitution, changes President Nursultan Nazarbayev lauded as yet another step forward for Kazakh democracy but his opponents dismissed as tinkering necessary to impose a succession plan.

Unusually for Central Asia and the South Caucasus, Mr Nazarbayev didn’t opt to have his constitutional amendments approved by the populous through a referendum, as he has previously done. Instead, he presented them as minor changes to government that didn’t need to bother ordinary people.

“The government will strengthen its independence and responsibility for their decisions. Parliament will have new powers to control the activities of the Government and the executive bodies,” Mr Nazarbayev said in a statement on his website released after signing the changes into law. “The political system will gain a greater degree of democracy and stability. However, the basic foundation of the Republic of Kazakhstan is a presidential form of government.”

Analysts though have said that the changes are actually fairly substantial. The cabinet will report to parliament as well as to the president, it will also have greater influence over the hiring and firing of ministers and its executive will have more independence.

The division of responsibilities will also allow Mr Nazarbayev to concentrate on issues he is more comfortable with, such as foreign policy and security, rather than more troublesome issues such as education, health and social welfare.

Some observers said that behind these moves lay a strategy aimed at diluting power away from the presidency so that power can effectively be split with succession, rather than concentrating power in the hands of one person.

Mr Nazarbayev is 76-years-old and has ruled Kazakhstan since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 but has yet to lay out a coherent succession strategy.

ENDS