Kazakh president to serve shorter term

The Kazakh parliament approved a bill on Monday limiting the term of its head of state. From 2012, the President of Kazakhstan will serve five instead of seven years. The bill was advised by the current president who has been in power since Kazakh indepen

During a unified session both chambers of Parliament approved a series of amendments to the constitutional law. 

Apart from the decrease in the presidential term, the new law also says the head of state may not resign from his party after becoming president, and may be re-elected more than twice.

The new law will come into force only after the current president, Nursultan Nazarbaev, resigns in 2012.