Constitutional Reform in Kazakhstan during the Presidency of Kassym-Żomart Tokayev

Abstract

The subject of the study is the constitutional reform in Kazakhstan during the presidency of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. This reform is part of Tokayev’s liberalization of the authoritarian state system. The analysis focuses on the Law on Amendments and Additions to the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan, adopted by referendum on 5 June 2022. The amendments introduced by the Law include, in particular, the limitation of the President of Kazakhstan to a single seven-year term of office, the strengthening of the role of Parliament, the establishment of the Constitutional Court, the possibility of filing a constitutional complaint, the reform of the electoral system governing parliamentary elections, and the enhancement of the autonomy of local self-government units. The study concludes that the constitutional reform in Kazakhstan did not result in the transformation of the system of government from a super-presidential to a presidential model, as announced by the presidential camp. Nevertheless, it strengthened the level of protection afforded to individual rights and freedoms within the state. The article is innovative due to the temporal scope of the issues examined therein.