tions: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;
election last held 10 January 1999, a year before it was previously
scheduled (next to be held NA 2006); note - President NAZARBAYEV's
previous term had been extended to 2000 by a nationwide referendum
held 30 April 1995; prime minister and first deputy prime minister
appointed by the president

election results: Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV reelected president;
percent of vote - Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV 81.7%, Serikbolsyn
ABDILDIN 12.1%, Gani KASYMOV 4.7%, other 1.5%

note: President NAZARBAYEV 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 consists of the Senate (47
seats; 7 senators are appointed by the president; other members are
popularly elected, two from each of the former oblasts and the
former capital of Almaty, to serve six-year terms) and the Majilis
(67 seats; the addition of 10 "Party List" seats brings the total to
77; members are popularly elected to serve five-year terms); note -
with the oblasts being reduced to 14, the Senate will eventually be
reduced to 37; a number of Senate seats come up for reelection every
two years

elections: Senate - (indirect) last held 17 September 1999 (next to
be held NA 2001); Majilis - last held 10 and 24 October and 26
December 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - NA; 16 seats up for election in 1999, candidates nominated
by local councils; Majilis - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats
by party - Otan 23, Civic Party 13, Communist Party 3, Agrarian
Party 3, People's Cooperative Party 1, independents 34; note - most
independent candidates are affiliated with parastatal enterprises
and other pro-government institutions

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (44 members); Constitutional Council
(7 members)

Political parties and leaders: Agrarian Party [Romin MADENOV]; Alash
[Soverkazhy AKATAYEV]; AZAMAT Movement [Petr SVOIK, Murat AUEZOV,
and Galym ABILSIITOV, cochairmen]; Civic Party [Azat PERUASHEV,
first secretary]; Communist Party or KPK [Serikbolsyn ABDILDIN,
first secretary]; Forum of Democratic Forces [Nurbulat MASANOV,
Deputy Chairman of the Republican People's Party of Kazakhstan
(RNPK); Amirzhan