UNIPATH STAFF
proposed anti-corruption law in Kazakhstan will provide harsh financial penalties for government officials violating public trust.
Violators will face lifetime bans from public office, lose their official titles and ranks, and surrender their property for confiscation.
The fight against corruption has become a priority for Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has urged members of governmental bureaucracies to uproot illicit practices, such as bribery. Supreme Court Chairman Kairat Mami is leading a related anti-corruption campaign to address similar complaints against provincial judges.
President Nazarbayev said he recognizes that corruption cannot be tackled without effective judicial reform. He called for measures to protect judges from outside pressures, a practice already banned by the Kazakh constitution. One such measure is the expansion of the number of judges by 25 percent.
To encourage transparency, the government has undertaken rigorous scrutiny of lower- and middle-ranking officials, who are most often in contact with businesses seeking favors. The state Agency for Fighting Economic and Corruption Crimes has adopted a new Strategic Anti-Corruption Plan 2011-2015, aiming to curb corruption at all levels.
A draft of the plan urges a comprehensive reform of law enforcement institutions to create an environment that would motivate public servants to conduct their duties honestly.
Source: The Jamestown Foundation
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