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Nazarbayev scraps limit on presidential term

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The President of Kazakhstan has signed into law constitutional amendments reducing the president's term of office from seven to five years and scrapping restrictions on the number of terms that can be served.
ASTANA, May 22 (RIA Novosti) - The President of Kazakhstan has signed into law constitutional amendments reducing the president's term of office from seven to five years and scrapping restrictions on the number of terms that can be served.

Parliament approved May 18 the constitutional amendments proposed by Nursultan Nazarbayev to reduce the presidential term and scrapping restrictions on terms of office from 2012, but only for Nazarbayev last elected in December 2005.

The constitutional changes will also see an increase in the number of parliamentary members from 116 to 154, and the upper chamber in now authorized to replace the lower chamber, the Majlis.

The president can also dissolve parliament after consultation with the premier and speakers.

Regional governors will also be appointed by the president with the approval of local legislatures (maslikhats).

"Given the first Kazakh president's historical role, we have decided to approve lawmakers' proposals to lift restrictions on the number of [consecutive] presidential terms for him," said Yermek Zhumbayev Friday, head of a parliamentary commission on constitutional amendments, adding that the law would only be valid for Nazarbayev, not for future presidents.

The law will come into force from the official date of publication.

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