President of Kazakhstan plans to reorganize the state

RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS - In Brief 04 Sep 2020 by Alex Teddy
On September 1 Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev addressed his people. He announced a major overhaul of state structures. The Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms will be set up. Another as-yet-unnamed agency will be created to manage economic competition.There is growing disenchantment with economic stagnation and a lack of political reform. Toqaev became president in March 2019. He has been dogged by small-but-persistent protests. He does not command the respect that his predecessor did. Toqaev said human rights is a priority. This is astonishing bearing in mind his government's poor record on the issue.As of 2021 village governors will be elected. Until now they were appointed. The Agency for Emergency Situations will be separated from the Ministry of the Interior. This agency has been dealing with the coronavirus and its performance is unimpressive. The opposition wants regional governors to be elected too. The president has not conceded that. The economy has hit the skids. The drop in the price of energy and the coronavirus pandemic have hurt the country very badly. The government thinks that it can no longer afford to provide economic aid to the needy. The loan deferral scheme has come to an end. 25% of people live below the poverty line. Nur Sultan City and Almaty are the wealthiest cities. Poverty tends to be found in the countryside. The USD 10 billion that the president said in March could be spent on healthcare and income support is running out. Some of this money went to keep businesses afloat. That aid package was 7% of GDP. Toqaev said that laws would be passed to align with the International Convention Against Torture. Such laws already exist but are often flout...

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