Kazakhstan Moves Ahead With Constitution Reform, Redesigns Parliament And Rights Framework

Kazakhstan is advancing a comprehensive constitutional reform package, including changes in the structure and powers of its parliament, the executive branch and the protection of fundamental rights. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has unveiled proposals aimed at replacing the current bicameral parliament with the unicameral legislative structure of the Qurultay, adjusting executive powers and embedding stronger human rights guarantees within the constitution. Government officials and legislative actors are currently reviewing detailed draft provisions ahead of a nationwide referendum on the planned changes. (Times of Central Asia)

Structural Transformation Of Kazakhstan’s Parliament

From Bicameralism To A Single Chamber

A central dimension of Kazakhstan’s constitutional reform is the proposed abolition of the existing bicameral legislature — the Senate and the Mazhilis — and the establishment of a single-chamber parliament, the Qurultay. President Tokayev describes this design shift as a fundamental reconsideration of legislative organisation, moving away from the 1995 constitutional architecture toward a streamlined body intended to clarify law-making functions and modernise institutional frameworks. The new chamber is proposed to comprise 145 deputies, elected for five-year terms through a proportional system at the national level, alongside preservation of majoritarian elements in regional representation.

Under draft constitutional law, the Qurultay would assume comprehensive legislative powers, including the authority to initiate constitutional amendments and adopt core statutory frameworks. Eligibility requirements and conditions for losing a mandate — such as loss of citizenship, relocation abroad, criminal convictions or changes in party affiliation — are being specified to govern deputy mandates and ensure parliamentary accountability.

Electoral and Mandate Provisions

The drafts specify that elections for the Qurultay must be held no later than two months before the current convocation’s term expires. Candidates must be Kazakh citizens aged at least 25 years with at least ten years of continuous residence in the nation. Parliament, renamed under the reform, is envisioned as a representative body with extended constitutional authority, and the Central Election Commission would oversee deputy accountability, ethics and immunity.

Adjusting Executive Powers And Government Authority

Rebalancing Executive Functions

Alongside parliamentary redesign, the constitutional reform agenda includes proposed revisions to the distribution of executive powers. Justice Minister Yerlan Sarsembayev has indicated that certain authorities currently held by the Government of Kazakhstan may be removed from the constitution. For instance, the power to approve state programmes and the authority to direct or suspend acts of state committees could be eliminated as part of aligning the constitution with new state planning mechanisms. Government committees are to be reclassified as departments of central executive bodies, reducing the need for explicit constitutional mention of these bodies.

Presidential Appointments And Transition Rules

Proposed amendments also focus on personnel appointments, with the Constitution potentially assigning the President the authority to appoint key officials — including the Vice President, Prime Minister and judges of the Constitutional Court — with the consent of the Qurultay. This shift emphasises parliamentary consent in senior appointments while retaining presidential initiative in nominations. Additionally, draft provisions outline procedures for holding presidential elections within two months of a premature end to presidential powers, reinforcing the Qurultay’s role in ensuring orderly transitions and democratic legitimacy.

Human Rights And Constitutional Guarantees

Prioritising Fundamental Rights

Human rights protection is being positioned at the centre of the constitutional reform. Human Rights Commissioner Artur Lastayev has proposed enshrining an absolute right to life as a fundamental constitutional right, extending protections beyond the abolition of capital punishment to encompass all circumstances affecting personal safety. Promoters of this reform argue that the inclusion of strong human rights guarantees reflects national values and historical legal traditions based on Turkic statecraft culture, drawing continuity from historical judicial practices.

Lastayev also advocates relocating fair trial guarantees into the section on fundamental human rights, underscoring a constitutional commitment to due process and personal liberties. Constitutional language is being updated to emphasise that the human being, their rights and freedoms, represent the highest state value. These proposals form part of a broader review intended to modernise and strengthen citizens’ constitutional protections in the quickly developing political system of Kazakhstan.

Consultative Bodies And Public Participation

Khalyk Kenesi And People’s Council

In parallel with legislative reform, President Tokayev has proposed establishing a Khalyk Kenesi, or People’s Council, as a new supreme consultative body. Designed to unify public and political associations, the council is intended to contribute directly to social development, unity and policy formulation. Its formal powers, composition and organisational mechanisms are to be defined by future constitutional law, potentially providing a venue for broader civic engagement and national deliberation.

Process, Referendum And Legitimacy

Constitutional Commission And Drafting Pathway

A Constitutional Reform Commission composed of senior officials, legal experts, members of parliament and civil society representatives was established to consolidate proposals and draft a coherent constitutional text. The two-stage process — drafting and nationwide referendum — reflects Tokayev’s framing of the exercise as both institutional architecture and public legitimacy. The draft will be subject to public discussion before submission for ratification via a referendum, aligning with practices from previous major constitutional changes.

Timeline And Public Vote

Although the exact timing for a referendum has yet to be set, the process is expected to culminate in a public vote once the Constitutional Commission finalises its draft. The referendum model aligns with Kazakhstan’s constitutional tradition of using direct public endorsement for foundational changes, most recently observed in the 2022 constitutional amendments that reconfigured the presidential term and expanded parliament’s role.

Assessment

Kazakhstan’s constitutional reform marks a systematic advance from selective adjustments toward a comprehensive redefinition of state structures. By combining parliamentary redesign, executive rebalancing and enhanced rights protection within a single reform cycle, authorities aim to produce an updated governance framework designed for stability, continuity and broader public participation.

Notable in this context is the planned alignment of the state structure with the cultural design of the Kazakh society. With the reintroduction of the Qurultay, the establishment of the Khalyk Kenesi and the strengthening of personal liberties, which are all old Turkic political innovations and cornerstones of Turkic statecraft, President Tokayev’s proposed structures, if implemented, will go beyond the mechanical positive effects on Kazakhstan’s politics, creating an amplified development boost through an alignment between politics and culture. More on the importance of culture in statecraft can be found here.