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Constitution is described as a "document or set of documents which lay down the framework of a political system."1 Constitution also defines the very essence of the political system in some cases. In states which are undergoing a process of a political change, Constitutions symbolize a transition from the old to the new, and set new goals and aspirations.2
FIRST CONSTITUTION
The first constitution of the independent and sovereign Republic of Kazakhstan was adopted in January 1993. Amidst heated debate in the Supreme Soviet building and heckling by a crowd of protestors outside, the Kazakh Parliament ratified the country's first post-Soviet Constitution in January 1993. According to official statistics, the referendum held on 30 August 1993 attracted 91 per cent of eligible voters, of which 89 per cent supported the Constitution.3 The Constitution of the Kazakhstan Republic which established Presidential form of government, describes Kazakhstan as a "democratic, secular and unitary state." with emphasis on democratic principles.4 Life, liberty, and the inalienable rights of the individual are held in high value. Citizens are guaranteed basic civil liberties including freedom of thought, expression and speech, freedom of media and right to receive information, freedom to demonstrate peacefully, and freedom to create public organizations.5 The citizens of the Republic have the right to property, education and right to profess or not to profess any religion. International human rights agreements signed by Kazakhstan have precedence over state law.6
The Constitution of the Republic, which lays emphasis upon establishing the government's fundamental objective of nation building strategy, also accommodates the aspirations of non-Kazakh population. While Kazakh is the state language, the 1993 Constitution accorded Russian a prominent position as the "language of inter ethnic communication" and prohibited any limitations on the rights of citizens who do not speak Kazakh. The Constitution granted automatic citizenship to all who desire it, with no language or residence requirements whatsoever. In line with the Constitution's declaration that Kazakhstan is a unitary state, regional governors (Hakims) are appointed directly by the President. This ensures that local governments follow Nazarbayev's wishes and act as a check for ethno-national extremists from becoming powerful and disturbing socio-political stability. The Constitution of the Republic prohibits the establishment of any social organization which seeks to forcibly change the...