Maslikhats as an instrument of local democracy: аssessment of reform results and development prospects

Abstract

The development of the modern socio-cultural space is characterized by dynamism and requires appropriate tools of state and representative management. Maslikhats are traditionally a key part of the local government system in the Republic of Kazakhstan. After the constitutional reform of 2022, the importance of the maslikhat has also increased in the context of the integrity of the government architecture of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The purpose of scientific research is focused on highlighting the balance between the expansion of powers and independence of maslikhats, responsibility and effectiveness of these structures. The main scientific and practical issue regarding the functioning of maslikhats is their ability to simultaneously meet the interests of state policy and the needs of the population of administrative-territorial units. The methodological arsenal of the research consists of general scientific methods of an analytical nature (systematization and comparison of legislative activity) and focuses on reviewing scientific and practical ideas for the development of local self-government in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The results of the work indicate the choice of a purposeful and systematic type of reform of maslikhats in the context of decentralization, which provides for improving the effectiveness of local government at the institutional and human-oriented levels. The synergy of cultural and historical experience and the requirements of today's socio-cultural world makes it possible to transform the maslikhat into a modern structure that meets democratic principles. The significance of the work provides for an analysis of the strategy for reforming the local government system by making amendments and additions to the Constitution and legislative acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The status of maslikhats in the current system of local government is characterized by the incompleteness of reforming the structure of local government and the mixing of the influence of local government and local self-government. The results of the work can be applied in the future in the format of legislative initiatives regarding the development of local government in general and the functioning of maslikhats in particular. In practical terms, decentralization provides for the provision of control functions to the maslikhat (formation of the Maslikhat's staff and commissions) and development (provision of funds and resources) of the region and the local community.

Key words: Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan, maslikhats, local self-government, local public administration, decentralization, reforms, local government, functions of local self-government.