President Tokayev announces referendum on the Constitution

Nur-Sultan, 5 May 2022 – In his televised address to the nation on constitutional reform, the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, announced that he has signed a Decree on holding a state-wide referendum on June 5, 2022, on the adoption of amendments and additions to the Constitution. He said: “Amendments to the Constitution are crucial for our country. The changes will affect a third of its articles. Therefore, I proposed to bring this issue to a republican referendum, because such large-scale changes should be carried out on the basis of the will of the people.”

According to the President, the referendum on the draft constitutional amendments will demonstrate the country’s firm commitment to democratic principles, adding that “it will allow every citizen to take a direct part in the historic event that will determine the future of Kazakhstan.”

The Head of State noted that the constitutional reform is aimed at a comprehensive transformation of the entire state model, which includes the final transition from a "super-presidential" form of government to a presidential republic with an influential parliament and an accountable government, which entails limiting the powers of the President. In addition, the constitutional reform will significantly strengthen the representative branch of power, strengthen the system of checks and balances, and increase the independence of maslikhats (local representative bodies). Furthermore, the introduction of a mixed majority-proportional model for the election of deputies to the Mazhilis and regional maslikhats will make it possible to cover the entire spectrum of views and opinions of voters more fully. A section of the amendments will also further enhance the protection of human rights, by establishing the Constitutional Court, consolidating the status of the Commissioner for Human Rights at the constitutional level, and fully banning the death penalty.

President Tokayev summarized the initiatives by emphasizing that “the constitutional reform will mark a new stage in the development of our country.”

Concluding his televised Address, the President called on everyone to take an active part in the referendum “for the sake of the future of our country, for the sake of future generations”, adding that “together we will build a New Kazakhstan, a fair Kazakhstan!”

For reference

On 16 March 2022, President Tokayev delivered his State-of-the-Nation Address, which contained significant political reforms and proposals to democratize the political processes in Kazakhstan. For their effective implementation, amendments and additions to the Constitution were required, which means a constitutional reform was necessary. To prepare the draft amendment to the Constitution, a special working group was established, which included prominent legal scholars, experts, and representatives of authorized bodies. After a detailed review of all the proposals, the draft amendments were sent to the Constitutional Council, which gave its opinion on its compliance with the provisions of the Constitution. The amendments will now be put to a public vote through a referendum on 5 June 2022.