Then-president Nursultan Nazarbayev expanded his presidential powers by decree: only he can initiate constitutional amendments, appoint and dismiss the government, dissolve Parliament, call referendums at his discretion, and appoint administrative heads of regions and cities.
The president is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces and may veto legislation that has been passed by the Parliament.
It includes the Service of Internal Security, Military Counterintelligence, Border Guard, several Commandos units, and Foreign Intelligence (Barlau).
The Assembly (Mäjilis) has 98 seats, elected for a five-year term, 69 by proportional representation and 29 in single-member constituencies.
[4] With regard to the legal profession, the Republican Collegiate was created in 2012 and it represents Kazakhstan's lawyers' associations on the national level.
The regions or oblystar (singular — oblys) and cities (qalalar, singular — qala)* are : Abai (Semey), Almaty (Qonayev), Almaty*, Akmola (Kokshetau), Astana*, Aktobe (Aktobe), Atyrau (Atyrau), West Kazakhstan (Oral), Baykonur*, Mangystau (Aktau), Shymkent*, Turkistan (Turkistan), Pavlodar (Pavlodar), Karagandy (Karaganda), Kostanay (Kostanay), Kyzylorda (Kyzylorda), East Kazakhstan (Oskemen), North Kazakhstan (Petropavl), Jambyl (Taraz), Jetisu (Taldykorgan), and Ulytau (Jezkazgan).