initiative of the President; decide issues of war and peace; adopt decisions concerning the use of the Armed Forces of the Republic to fulfill international obligations in support of peace and security at the proposal of the President of the Republic; hear annual messages of the Constitutional Council of the Republic on the state of the constitutional legality in the Republic; form joint commissions of the Chambers; elect and release from office their chairpersons; hear report on the activity of the commissions; exercise other powers assigned to Parliament by the Constitution. Separate sessions of Senate and Mazhilis Parliament at separate sessions of the Chambers through consecutive consideration of issues first in the Mazhilis and then in the Senate shall adopt constitutional laws and laws, and shall: approve the budget of the republic, make amendments and additions; establish and remove state fees and taxes; establish the procedure dealing with the issues of administrative-territorial division of Kazakhstan; institute state awards, honorary, military and other titles, ranked positions, diplomatic ranks of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and define state symbols of the Republic; decide issues of state loans and rendering of economic and other assistance by the Republic; issue acts of amnesty to citizens; ratify and denounce international treaties of the Republic. Also shall: discuss reports on implementation of the budget of the republic; conduct second round of discussions and voting on bills and separate articles that were subject to President’s objection; put forward an initiative calling for national referendum. Exclusive powers of the Senate of Parliament The following shall belong to exclusive jurisdiction of the Senate: election and discharge from office of the Chairperson of the Supreme Court and judges of the Supreme Court of the Republic at the proposal of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and swearing them into office; approval of the appointment of the Prosecutor General and the Chairperson of the Committee of National Security by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan; assuming all the functions of the Parliament of the Republic in adopting constitutional laws and laws in the period of temporary absence of the Mazhilis following its early dissolution (On two occasions the Senate assumed all the functions of the Parliament in adopting constitutional laws and laws: from June 21 till July 11, 2007, and from November 16, 2011 till January 19, 2012); Exercise other powers assigned to the Senate of the Parliament by the