The Majlis which is the lower house of the Parliament of Kazakhstan is likely to be dissolved, an informed source in Astana told news agency KazTAG
"The Majlis of the Parliament is likely to be dissolved shortly. The question is about the structure of MPs as no less than two parties should have seats in a new parliament," KazTAG reported.
The Parliament may be dissolved upon the authority of either MPs, or the Nur Otan Party, according to the information from KazTAG.. If this happens, preterm elections may take place within a period of two months. In other words, the elections to the Majlis will most likely be held in early 2012. As provided by Kazakhstan's election legal system, a presidential and parliamentary election cannot be held in the same year. Currently a preterm presidential election was held in April 2011.
This not the first time the Kazakhstan parliament has been dissolved and preterm elections conducted, but previously the reasons were different. In December 1993 all levels of MPs, including those of the Supreme Council left office. New elections were then conducted in March 1994.
However, the parliament was dissolved again in March 1995. In August that year there was a referendum on a new constitution carried out which envisioned a two-house parliament.
Elections to the Majlis and to the Senate were then conducted in December 1995. In June 2007, Majlis was dissolved once again upon a vote of MPs and party list-based elections were conducted for the first time in August of the same year.