In a new analytical commentary, Danara Saranova, Chief Expert at the Department for Work with Regions and a representative of the Kazakh Institute for Strategic Studies in Shymkent, examines how the proposed People’s Council could reshape public dialogue in Kazakhstan by embedding structured, representative civic participation directly into the state decision-making system, marking a shift from episodic consultations to a more institutionalized and results-oriented model of engagement.
At the National Kurultai (assembly), a central focus was placed on building sustainable and transparent mechanisms for interaction between the state and society, The Caspian Post reports via the Kazakh Institute for Strategic Studies.
Against this backdrop, the proposal to establish the People’s Council of Kazakhstan (Qazaqstannyn Halyq Kenesi) is viewed as a move to institutionalize regular public dialogue and give it a more practical dimension.
The People’s Council is envisioned as a permanent public-state body embedded within the decision-making system. Under the announced parameters, it would comprise 126 members: 42 representatives each from ethnocultural associations, civil society organizations, and regions-delegated via maslikhats (local representative body) and public councils. This model aims to ensure broad representation while maintaining a functional and manageable structure.
A defining feature of the new institution is the granting of legislative initiative rights. This would fundamentally change how public structures participate in the political process. Proposals developed within the Council could move beyond a purely consultative role and be formally considered at the legislative level, creating an additional channel for societal and regional priorities to translate into concrete policy decisions.
At the same time, speakers emphasized a critical caveat: the effectiveness of new institutions depends directly on the quality of governance processes. Modern technologies and organizational innovations, it was noted, do not deliver results without clear procedures, well-defined authorities, and accountability. In this sense, the People’s Council-like any new body-will be judged not by its formal status, but by how effectively it integrates into the practical workings of public administration.
Overall, the creation of the People’s Council fits within a broader effort to establish stable feedback mechanisms between the state and society. Its regular operating format and defined status are intended to enable systematic-not episodic-consideration of public views, particularly on domestic policy and regional development issues.
