Kazakhstan Adopts New Constitution After March 2026 Referendum

On 15 March 2026, citizens of Kazakhstan approved a new Constitution in a nationwide referendum, with the Central Referendum Commission reporting 87.15 percent support on a turnout of 73.12 percent. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed the decree formally adopting the document on 17 March, and the new Basic Law is set to take effect on 1 July 2026. The reform replaces the bicameral Parliament with a unicameral chamber, reintroduces the office of Vice-President, modernizes provisions on digital rights, and codifies a definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Authorities have framed the change as a transition from what President Tokayev called a “super-presidential” system to a “presidential republic with an influential Parliament.”

Referendum results

Voting on 15 March 2026 took place at 10,401 polling stations, of which 71 were opened at diplomatic missions in 54 countries. According to preliminary figures announced by the Central Referendum Commission on 16 March, 9,127,192 citizens voted, a turnout of 73.12 percent that exceeded the 50 percent threshold required by law. Of the ballots cast, 7,954,667 (87.15 percent) supported the new Constitution, while 898,099 (around 9.84 percent) voted against; 146,558 ballots were declared invalid. Results were confirmed on 17 March.

It was the fifth nationwide referendum since independence and the third constitutional vote since 2022. According to the Central Referendum Commission, the turnout was the highest for any nationwide vote since the 2019 presidential election. The referendum was monitored by international observers from the OSCE/ODIHR, the CIS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Organization of Turkic States, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, alongside 359 international observers and 206 accredited foreign journalists.

On 17 March, Tokayev signed the decree officially adopting the new Constitution and designated 15 March as Constitution Day, a new annual public holiday.

From a parliamentary reform to a new Constitution

The process began with President Tokayev’s State of the Nation Address on 8 September 2025, which proposed transitioning to a unicameral Parliament and initially indicated that a related referendum could be held in 2027. On 8 October 2025, Tokayev signed a decree establishing a Working Group on Parliamentary Reform, headed by State Counsellor Erlan Qarin. Members included deputies of the Mäjilis and the Senate, representatives of the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan, leaders of parliamentary party factions, legal scholars, and members of the National Kurultai.

He had already signaled the shift in Turkistan newspaper interview published in January, telling readers that he was reviewing draft amendments together with a group of experts: “It is planned to introduce such a large number of changes that, taken together, they will be comparable to the adoption of a new Constitution.” In the same interview, Tokayev added that “all reforms of fundamental importance to the country are submitted to a nationwide referendum,” framing the upcoming vote as the decisive step in the process.[1]

On 21 January 2026, the President signed a decree establishing a 130-member Constitutional Commission, chaired by Constitutional Court Chairperson Elvira Azimova and State Counsellor Erlan Qarin. The commission included officials from central and regional government bodies, members of the National Kurultai, judicial and law-enforcement representatives, legal scholars, media executives, and representatives of civil society. Citizens submitted proposals through the eGov and e-Otinish digital platforms, and the commission’s meetings were broadcast live. By early February, the commission reported it had received several thousand public submissions. After 12 meetings, the commission delivered its final draft to the President on 11 February 2026, the same day Tokayev signed a decree scheduling the referendum for 15 March 2026. The full text, a preamble and 95 articles in 11 sections, was published in the national press on 12 February, leaving citizens just over a month to study the document before voting.

A unicameral Kurultai and a restored Vice-Presidency

The new Constitution dissolves the bicameral system, abolishing the Senate, and replaces it with a unicameral Parliament called the Kurultai, a historical term for assemblies traditionally convened on the Turkic steppe. The Kurultai will comprise 145 deputies serving five-year terms, elected entirely through a proportional electoral system based on party lists. Officials argue that the proportional model will encourage the institutional development of political parties. Regarding this change, an article by Specialist of Economic Department at Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Czech Republic Akikat Karatay notes: "The proportional system eliminates the practice of deputies joining dominant factions after elections, making the legislative process more compact and operational, shortening approval procedures and reducing administrative costs." The quotas for youth, women, and persons with special needs are retained in the new framework.

The reform also introduces the Qazaqstan Khalyq Kenesi (People’s Council), a new high-level consultative body to be formed by the President. Granted the right of legislative initiative, the Council is intended to develop recommendations on domestic policy and to convene at least once a year.

In parallel, the executive branch is restructured through the constitutional reintroduction of the Vice-Presidency, a position abolished in 1996. Under the new Basic Law, the Vice-President is appointed by the President with the consent of Parliament by a simple majority. Designated responsibilities include international representation duties on behalf of the President and engagement with Parliament and other state institutions. The presidential administration has stated that the new office will not diminish presidential authority, and that Kazakhstan continues as a presidential republic. Some legal analysts and civil society groups have noted that the new framework retains a strong concentration of executive authority, including presidential powers to appoint senior officials, dissolve Parliament under specified conditions, and issue decrees with the force of law during a temporary absence of Parliament.

In an interview with the Turkistan newspaper published on 5 January 2026, Tokayev rejected suggestions that the reform was tailored to entrench personal power, calling such reasoning “fantasy” and saying it contradicted his political principles. “To change the entire system of governance to suit personal interests would be, in the highest degree, irresponsible,” he said, reiterating the governance formula he has used since 2019 — “a Strong President, an Influential Parliament and an Accountable Government” — and noting that all reforms of fundamental importance would be put to a nationwide referendum.[2]

Ideological foundations and digital rights

The new Constitution preserves immutable values — sovereign independence, unitary statehood, territorial integrity, and the principle of law and order. The document reinforces the secular nature of the state, including in the educational sphere, and explicitly defines marriage as a voluntary and equal union between a man and a woman, constitutionally codifying the prohibition of same-sex marriage. The preamble draws on the history of the Great Steppe and references the philosophical concept of “Tolyk adam” (the complete person) associated with the writer Abai Kunanbayev. The state has also promoted the “Taza Qazaqstan” (Clean Kazakhstan) initiative as a national civic and environmental campaign.

In November 2025, Tokayev signed a Law on Artificial Intelligence, which entered into force on 18 January 2026 and introduced a risk-based regulatory framework and labelling requirements for AI-generated content. He subsequently declared 2026 the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence. The new Constitution explicitly guarantees the protection of citizens’ personal digital data in the digital environment. In late 2025, the government established the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Madiyev Zhaslan. Other initiatives include the launch of the alem.cloud supercomputing cluster, presented by authorities as the most powerful in Central Asia, and the planned commissioning of additional data centers in 2026.

Economic context and infrastructure

The reform is taking place against a backdrop of sustained economic growth and persistent structural challenges. The government reports an economic growth rate exceeding 6.5 percent, gross domestic product above 300 billion US dollars, and more than 65 billion US dollars in National Fund reserves, while elevated inflation and the so-called middle-income trap remain on the policy agenda.

A central element of the domestic reset concerns the country’s energy and utility infrastructure, where decades of deferred maintenance and suppressed tariffs have produced systemic risks. The government has launched a modernization programme based on differentiated tariffs and targeted compensation for low-income households.

To meet projected demand from automated industrial complexes and data centers, Kazakhstan plans to construct nuclear power plants — a step authorities frame as commensurate with the country’s status as a leading global uranium producer. The government expects global demand for critical raw materials to roughly double over the next five years and is expanding cooperation on rare-earth metals with the European Union, the United States, China and other partners.

In agriculture, large state subsidies are being reviewed, and authorities are encouraging a return to cooperative farming models, particularly in the livestock sector targeting Asian export markets. The state’s logistics agenda includes the construction and modernization of 5,000 kilometers of railway lines by 2030, building on a network of twelve transport corridors that, according to Kazakh authorities, currently handle up to 85 percent of overland cargo traffic between China and Europe. New railway projects include the Dostyk–Moyinty and Bakhty–Ayagoz lines, alongside continued participation in the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, often referred to as the “Middle Corridor.”

Asset recovery and anti-corruption

The reform process unfolded alongside an asset-recovery campaign run since 2023 by the Committee for the Recovery of Illegally Acquired Assets under the Prosecutor General’s Office. According to official figures, around 1.2–1.3 trillion tenge (approximately 2.3 billion US dollars) has been recouped, with proceeds channeled through a Special State Fund toward social and communal facilities including schools, healthcare institutions, water-supply systems, and regional airport reconstructions. The government reports that the fund has financed several hundred such projects across the country.

Following the institutionalization of these mechanisms, the specialized committee was reorganized into the Committee for the Protection of Investors’ Rights, which authorities have presented as a transition from emergency centralization to routine operational practice. The state has also reported new investment commitments from rehabilitated asset owners and refined its anti-corruption architecture by addressing functional duplications between the Anti-Corruption Service and the National Security Committee.

Outlook

Implementation of the new Constitution will run on a tight schedule. The text enters into force on 1 July 2026 – new parliamentary elections are due by the end of August, and the Vice-President is to be appointed once the new Parliament is seated. According to the authorities, the framework is intended to redistribute powers, redefine relations between state institutions, and reshape the country’s legal architecture for the period ahead. Its practical effects will become clearer over the months that follow as secondary legislation is aligned with the new Basic Law and the new institutions begin to operate. Evaluating the timing of the reforms, Akikat Karatay writes in his article: "The implementation of the reform was inevitable for Kazakhstan, and the current moment is suitable for it, as the country is stable and various political parties and currents of opinion are participating in the discussion and implementation of the changes." He concludes the article by stating: "Overall, the draft of the new constitution represents an attempt to modernize Kazakhstan's institutional system, combining historical identity with modern principles of public administration and creating long-term orientations for the country's development."

Bc. Daniela Finkousová, MPA and Mgr. Jan Vavřík, supported by Mgr. Akikat Karatay