The Commission on Constitutional Reform has published the draft of the new Constitution of Kazakhstan.
The draft of the country’s new Basic Law was developed as a result of a comprehensive analysis of proposals from citizens, political parties, public organizations, and experts, open public discussions, and detailed elaboration of new norms and provisions.
The starting point for the constitutional reform was the initiative of the Head of State, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, to establish a unicameral Parliament in Kazakhstan. The President voiced this idea on September 8, 2025, in his annual Address to the Nation, with the aim of comprehensively rebooting the political system and positively influencing the further course of Kazakhstan’s socio-economic development in the era of artificial intelligence.
On October 8, an order was signed establishing a Working Group on parliamentary reform, which included well-known legal scholars, experts, representatives of political party factions, and public organizations.
Concerned citizens also joined the discussions by submitting their opinions and proposals through the e-Otinish and eGov portals.
Thus, intensive discussions of the new reform lasted for about six months. During this time, the Working Group comprehensively reviewed and summarized all proposals from citizens, more than 2,000 of which were received.
At the 5th meeting of the National Kurultai in January 2026, the Head of State summarized the results of this work and presented his vision of the forthcoming changes.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also emphasized that initially it was assumed that the amendments would affect about 40 articles of the Basic Law. However, in the course of the work it became evident that the number of changes would be much greater — they would affect many other aspects of political and social life.
On January 21, a Constitutional Commission was established. It included 130 members from among the National Kurultai members, prominent legal scholars, officials of central government bodies, heads of media organizations, chairpersons of maslikhats, representatives of regional public councils, and members of the expert and academic communities. Thus, all social groups and regions of Kazakhstan were represented.
The Commission was chaired by the Chairperson of the Constitutional Court, Elvira Azimova. The deputies were State Counselor Yerlan Karin and Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Culture and Information Aida Balayeva.
“The establishment of the Commission should be regarded as a transition from sectoral changes to a comprehensive constitutional transformation. It has an exceptional mission — to ensure such a configuration of the Basic Law that, on the one hand, preserves the fundamental principles of the constitutional order and, on the other hand, enables us to adequately respond to modern challenges,” Chairperson Elvira Azimova stated at the Commission’s first meeting.
All Commission meetings were fully open and broadcast live. Its work was widely and thoroughly covered by the media.
Prominent lawyers, human rights defenders, public figures, deputies, political scientists, and other experts expressed their opinions, comments, and proposals.
During the working process, Commission members thoroughly examined proposals to amend the Basic Law affecting all sections and 77 articles, which constitutes 84% of the Constitution’s text. As a result, the issue of preparing a new Constitution of Kazakhstan was raised and supported.
The conceptual changes to the Basic Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan are aimed at increasing the human-centered nature of the state, reflecting the current values and principles of the people of Kazakhstan, and improving the effectiveness of the structure of the republic’s political institutions.
In the new Preamble, human rights and freedoms are proclaimed for the first time as the primary priority of the state. Unity and solidarity, interethnic and interfaith harmony are defined as the foundation of Kazakhstan’s statehood.
Sovereignty and Independence, unitarity, and territorial integrity are classified as immutable values.
Principles such as Justice, Law and Order, and careful treatment of nature are, for the first time, enshrined at the constitutional level.
It is also established that the people of Kazakhstan are the sole source of state power and the bearer of sovereignty.
Education and science, culture and innovation are defined as the central idea of the new text of the Basic Law. This marks a fundamentally important shift, emphasizing that the future of the state is determined not by mineral resources and natural wealth, but by human capital and the achievements of its citizens.
Another important thematic line is digitalization. In this regard, the new Constitution for the first time enshrines a norm on the protection of citizens’ rights in the digital environment.
A key feature of the new Constitution is its focus on human rights. Human rights and freedoms are not only proclaimed in the new Preamble but are also affirmed as a special priority and the core principle of the entire Constitution.
A clear separation of religion and the state is established. The secular nature of the education and upbringing system is affirmed.
A provision is introduced stating that marriage is a voluntary and equal union between a man and a woman. This decision is aimed at protecting traditional values at the highest legal level and strengthening the protection of women’s rights.
Among the key novelties of the draft Constitution are:
– The formation of a new unicameral Parliament — the Kurultai — consisting of 145 deputies and endowed with new, expanded powers. A proportional electoral system will be used in its formation, and deputies will serve five-year terms.
– The proportional system will contribute to the development of party кадровой policies, enhance their institutional role, and increase the accountability of political forces to society.
– The creation of a new nationwide dialogue platform — Kazakhstan’s People’s Council (Қазақстанның Халық Кеңесі). It will serve as the highest consultative body representing the interests of the people of the Republic of Kazakhstan and will have the right of legislative initiative.
– The establishment of the institution of the Vice President, who will, on behalf of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, interact with socio-political, scientific, and cultural-educational organizations of Kazakhstan and foreign states.
– For the first time, the inclusion of a special article devoted to the Bar and advocacy.
– Protection of intellectual property.
– Strengthening guarantees of citizens’ rights, including the prohibition of retroactive application of laws imposing new obligations or worsening the position of citizens, the principles of presumption of innocence, and the inadmissibility of being held liable twice for the same offense.
– Enshrining the “Miranda rule.”
In addition, the draft new Constitution comprehensively addresses the issue of outdated terminology.
The text of the new Basic Law emphasizes Kazakhstan’s established statehood, its formed international authority, and its clear priority on developing human capital, education, science, and innovation, confidently looking to the future.
At the same time, tribute is paid to the current Constitution, which played an important role in the formation of statehood and the historical development of Kazakhstan.
In total, the first draft of the new edition of the Constitution proposes to include a Preamble, 11 sections, and 95 articles.
The collection of proposals continues through the e-Otinish and eGov portals.
The final decision on the new Constitution will be made by the country’s citizens in a nationwide referendum.
The work of the Constitutional Commission continues.
On February 11, 2026, the Head of State signed the Decree “On holding a republican referendum on March 15, 2026.” The very next day, the draft of the new Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan was officially published in the media.
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