After the snap presidential election in April, Kazakhstan looks like it will be holding a snap parliamentary election in January 2012.

RFE/RL is reporting that 53 deputies have sent a petition to President Nazarbaev requesting the dissolution of the legislature. According to RFE/RL this is the procedure that allows the president to dissolve parliament. I cannot find anything in the constitution specifying such a procedure. However, there may be a law or standing orders that require it.

Anyhow, the speculation is that, unsurprisingly in a one-party chamber, the president will accede to the request, thus paving the way for early elections in January.

RFE/RL also reports that the electoral law has been changed. In effect, the law now guarantees that the second party at the election will be represented in the parliament. However, there is no guarantee that the second party will be a true opposition party.