A nationwide referendum on the draft of a new Constitution is being held in Kazakhstan today, March 15. The vote is the fifth referendum in the history of independent Kazakhstan and is considered an important stage in the country’s political and institutional development.
The referendum was initiated by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym Jomart Tokayev. According to the head of state, updating the basic law is a necessary step to further modernize the system of state governance and strengthen democratic institutions.
Currently, Kazakhstan operates under the Constitution adopted on August 30, 1995. Since its adoption, the document has been amended several times. The most recent amendments entered into force in September 2022. However, the scale of the proposed reforms has made it necessary to prepare a new constitutional document, as the changes affect approximately 84 percent of the text of the current basic law.
The draft of the new Constitution was presented to the public in early February 2026. After its publication, citizens were given more than a month to familiarize themselves with the document and discuss the proposed changes.
President Tokayev has said that the adoption of a new Constitution is a requirement of the time. According to him, the country has reached a stage of maturity and responsibility when key decisions determining the future of the state must be made.
Chairwoman of the Constitutional Court of Kazakhstan Elvira Azimova has also stated that the new Constitution will confirm the country’s statehood maturity and its international commitments.
How the reform initiative emerged
The idea of constitutional reform was first voiced on September 8, 2025, during the President’s annual address to the nation. At that time, Tokayev proposed changing the existing parliamentary model by transitioning from a bicameral system to a unicameral one.
On January 20, 2026, during a meeting of the National Kurultai, which performs advisory functions for the authorities, the head of state presented additional proposals related to reforming the political system. These included the creation of the position of vice president, the reorganization of advisory institutions, and the revision of the Constitution’s preamble.
On January 21, 2026, the President signed a decree establishing the Constitutional Commission. The commission included representatives of state bodies, experts, scholars, and members of civil society. Initially, it was planned to introduce amendments to the existing Constitution. However, during discussions it became clear that the proposed changes would affect more than 80 percent of the document’s text, which led to the decision to draft a new basic law.
On February 11, 2026, Elvira Azimova, who chaired the Constitutional Commission, presented the final version of the draft Constitution to the President. On the same day, the head of state signed a decree calling a nationwide referendum for March 15, 2026.
On February 12, the text of the draft Constitution was published in national media, allowing public discussions to begin.
New preamble and values
The draft Constitution begins with an updated preamble reflecting the historical and cultural foundations of the state. The document refers to the history of the Great Steppe, emphasizes the idea of a just Kazakhstan, and enshrines the principle of the rule of law.
The text also confirms the unitary nature of the state, the inviolability of state borders, and the country’s territorial integrity.
Special attention is also given to strengthening interethnic and interfaith harmony, promoting science and education, protecting the environment, and maintaining ecological balance.
Economic and legal provisions
One of the innovations is the constitutional recognition of the country’s national currency. For the first time, the Constitution explicitly states that the monetary unit of the Republic of Kazakhstan is the tenge.
The document confirms that the presidential form of government will remain in place. At the same time, the draft stipulates that national legislation will have priority, while the application of international treaties will be determined by separate laws.
Political system and parties
The new version of the Constitution expands certain restrictions on political parties and trade unions. The ban on financing these organizations by foreign states and international structures will remain in force.
In addition, financial support for political parties by foreign citizens, stateless persons, and companies with foreign capital will also be prohibited.
Language and religion policy
The draft Constitution enshrines the principle of separation of religion and the state. The country’s education system will maintain its secular character, with the exception of religious educational institutions.
Kazakh will remain the state language. At the same time, Russian will continue to be officially used in state authorities and local self government bodies alongside Kazakh.
The state also undertakes to create conditions for the development of the languages of all peoples living in Kazakhstan and to ensure that discrimination based on language or other characteristics is not allowed.
Powers of the president
According to the draft Constitution, the presidential term will remain seven years. The same person may hold the office of head of state only once.
The ban on appointing the president’s close relatives to high government positions will also remain in force.
The document introduces a new provision allowing the president to voluntarily resign by appealing to the Constitutional Court.
Additionally, the head of state may be removed from office if he or she becomes permanently unable to perform official duties due to health reasons.
Parliamentary reform
One of the key changes is the transition to a unicameral parliament. Instead of the existing Senate and Mazhilis, it is proposed to establish a single legislative body called the Kurultai.
The parliament will consist of 145 deputies elected for five years through party lists.
The new model is expected to increase the efficiency of legislative activity and speed up the decision making process.
Creation of the vice president post
The draft Constitution provides for the creation of a new state position, that of vice president.
The candidate for this post will be nominated by the president and appointed with the consent of parliament. The vice president will become the second highest official in the state and will assume the duties of the head of state if the president’s powers end prematurely.
The vice president will also interact with parliament and perform other functions assigned by the president.
Creation of the People’s Council
The document also proposes the creation of a supreme advisory body called the People’s Council of Kazakhstan.
This body will combine the functions of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan and the National Kurultai. The People’s Council will prepare recommendations on domestic policy, strengthening public consensus, and promoting national unity.
In addition, the body will have the right to propose legislative initiatives and recommend holding referendums.
Government and prime minister
According to the draft Constitution, the candidate for prime minister will be nominated by the president. After appointment, the prime minister will lead the executive branch.
The government will be accountable to parliament and will transfer its powers to the new parliament after the next parliamentary elections.
Procedure for constitutional amendments
One of the major innovations is the change in the procedure for amending the Constitution.
Under the draft, any amendments to the Constitution can be adopted only through a nationwide referendum.
Amendments will be considered approved if they receive the support of the majority of participating voters and positive results are achieved in at least two thirds of the country’s regions.
Citizenship and security
The draft Constitution also includes provisions related to citizenship. It reaffirms the ban on dual citizenship.
Acquiring the citizenship of another country may serve as grounds for deprivation of Kazakhstan’s citizenship. Other grounds include terrorist activity or actions that seriously harm the national interests of the state.
How the voting is conducted
In the referendum, citizens are asked only one question – whether they support the adoption of the new Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Voters must choose between two options: supporting the draft or opposing it.
If a voter marks both options, the ballot will be considered valid but will not be counted. Ballots with no marks or those in which the voter’s intention cannot be determined will be considered invalid.
The referendum will be considered valid if more than half of the citizens included in the voter lists participate in the vote.
Organization of the vote
The preparation and conduct of the referendum are handled by Kazakhstan’s Central Election Commission, which performs the functions of the Central Referendum Commission during the campaign.
More than 12 million Kazakh citizens aged over 18 have the right to vote. Over 10,000 polling stations have been opened across the country for the referendum.
In addition, 71 polling stations operate in Kazakhstan’s diplomatic missions in 54 countries to allow citizens living or traveling abroad to participate in the vote.
International observers
The voting process is being monitored by international observers and foreign journalists. In total, 359 international observers from 38 countries and 11 international organizations have been accredited, along with more than 200 representatives of foreign media.
Among the international organizations observing the referendum are the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Organization of Turkic States, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
When the results will be announced
The Central Referendum Commission must announce the final results within seven days after the referendum.
If citizens support the proposed changes, the new Constitution will enter into force on July 1, 2026. After that, parliamentary elections are planned in the country and are expected to be held by the end of August.
The position of vice president will be introduced after the formation of the new parliament.
Thus, the current referendum is the fifth in the history of independent Kazakhstan and could lead to the adoption of a new basic law that will determine the country’s political and legal development for the coming years.
Follow us on Telegram
t.me/apanewsaz
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on TikTok
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on X
