Part 388

Government ----------

Name of country: conventional long form: Republic of Kazakstan conventional short form: Kazakstan local long form: Qazaqstan Respublikasy local short form: none former: Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic

Data code: KZ

Type of government: republic

Capital: Almaty

Administrative divisions: 19 oblystar (singular - oblys) and 1 city (qalalar, singular - qala)*; Almaty Qalasy*, Almaty Oblysy, Aqmola Oblysy, Aqtobe Oblysy, Atyrau Oblysy, Batys Qazaqstan Oblysy (Oral), Kokshetau Oblysy, Mangghystau Oblysy (Aqtau), Ongtustik Qazaqstan Oblysy (Shymkent), Pavlodar Oblysy, Qaraghandy Oblysy, Qostanay Oblysy, Qyzylorda Oblysy, Semey Oblysy, Shyghys Qazaqstan Oblysy (Oskemen; formerly Ust'-Kamenogorsk), Soltustik Qazaqstan Oblysy (Petropavl), Taldyqorghan Oblysy, Torghay Oblysy, Zhambyl Oblysy, Zhezqazghan Oblysy note: names in parentheses are administrative centers when name differs from oblys name

Independence: 16 December 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day, 16 December (1991)

Constitution: adopted 28 January 1993; has been amended in April 1995 and August 1995

Legal system: based on civil law system

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV (since 22 February 1990) was elected chairman of the Supreme Soviet 22 February 1990, and president by popular election 1 December 1991; was elected for a five-year term by universal suffrage; election last held 1 December 1991 (next to be held NA 2000); results - Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV ran unopposed; note - President NAZARBAYEV's term was extended to the year 2000 by a nationwide referendum held 30 April 1995 head of government: Prime Minister Akezhan KAZHEGELDIN (since 12 October 1994) and First Deputy Prime Ministers Nigmatzhan ISINGARIN (since 12 October 1994) were appointed by the president cabinet: Council of Ministers was appointed by the prime minister note: President NAZARBAYEV has expanded his presidential powers by decree: only he can initiate constitutional amendments, appoint and dismiss the government, dissolve parliament, call referenda at his discretion, and appoint administrative heads of regions and cities

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament Senate: elections (indirect) last held 5 December 1995 (next to be held NA 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (47 total) "independent" state officials 25, progovernment parties 11, other parties 2, vacant 9 (of which 7 are to be nominated by the president) Majilis: elections last held 9 December and 23 December 1995 (next to be held NA); percent of vote by party NA; seats - (67 total) seats by party NA; note - 172 candidates were forwarded by parties and social organizations and 113 candidates were independents

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: ALASH party; People's Unity Party (PUP; was Union of People's Unity), Akhan BIZHANOV, chairman; Democratic Party, Tulegen ZHUKEYEV and Altynbek SARSENBAYEV, cochairmen; People's Congress of Kazakstan (PCK), Olzhas SULEYMENOV, chairman; Socialist Party of Kazakstan (SPK; former Communist Party), Petr SVOIK, chairman; Communist Party, Baidabek TULEPBAYEV; National Democratic Party, Kamal ORMANTAYEV, chairman; AZAT party, Khasen KOZH-AKHMET, chairman; Confederation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakstan; Peasant Union of the Republic Kazakstan (KPU); Slavic Movement LAD, Aleksandra DOKUCHAYEVA, chairman; Party for Social Justice and Economic Revival "Tagibat"; Social Democratic Party, Dos KUSHIMOV, cochairman; People's Cooperative Party, Umirzak SARSENOV, chairman; Organization of Veterans; Republican Party

Other political or pressure groups: Independent Trade Union Center, Leonid SOLOMIN, president; Kazakstani-American Bureau on Human Rights, Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS, executive director; Democratic Committee on Human Rights; Independent Miners Union

International organization participation: AsDB, CCC, CIS, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NACC, OIC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Bolat NURGALIYEV chancery: (temporary) 3421 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 333-4504 through 4507 FAX: (202) 333-4509

US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador A. Elizabeth JONES embassy: 99/97 Furmanova Street, Almaty, Republic of Kazakstan 480012 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: (3272) 63-39-05, 63-13-75, 63-24-26 FAX: (3272) 63-29-42

Flag: sky blue background representing the endless sky and a gold sun with 32 rays soaring above a golden steppe eagle in the center; on the hoist side is a "national ornamentation" in yellow

Economy -------

Economic overview: Kazakstan, the second largest of the former Soviet states in territory, possesses enormous untapped fossil-fuel reserves as well as plentiful supplies of other minerals and metals. It also has considerable agricultural potential with its vast steppe lands accommodating both livestock and grain production. Kazakstan's industrial sector rests on the extraction and processing of these natural resources and also on a relatively large machine building sector specializing in construction equipment, tractors, agricultural machinery, and some defense items. The breakup of the USSR and the collapse of demand for Kazakstan's traditional heavy industry products have resulted in a sharp contraction of the economy since 1991, with the steepest annual decline occurring in 1994. The government has pursued a moderate program of economic reform and privatization, resulting in a gradual lifting of state controls over economic activity and a shifting of assets into the private sector. Nevertheless, government control over key sectors of the economy remains strong. Moreover, continued lack of pipeline transportation for expanded oil exports has closed off a likely source of economic recovery.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $46.9 billion (1995 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)

GDP real growth rate: -8.9% (1995 est.)

GDP per capita: $2,700 (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector: agriculture: 28.5% industry: 41.5% services: 30% (1991 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 60.3% (1995 est.)

Labor force: 7.356 million by occupation: industry and construction 31%, agriculture and forestry 26%, other 43% (1992)