Kazakhstan introduces landmark constitutional update reshaping state power

Deputy Chair of Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Court Bakyt Nurmukhanov presented a consolidated draft of amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan to members of the constitutional reform commission.

The document was prepared taking into account all proposals submitted by citizens, political parties, public organisations, and experts.

Bakyt Nurmukhanov told Kazakh media that the proposed updated Constitution will consist of a preamble, 11 sections, and 104 articles. Two new sections have been added — “People’s Council” and “Amending and Supplementing the Constitution” — while four other sections have been renamed.

Overall, the changes and additions affect all sections of the Basic Law. Amendments have been introduced to 77 articles, which account for 84% of the text of the Constitution.

“The proposed changes are an important and carefully thought-out step that alters conceptual approaches, strengthens legal precision, and improves the quality of the Basic Law,” a member of the constitutional commission said.

Nur­mukhanov noted that the innovations outlined in the consolidated draft affect the very foundations of Kazakhstan’s constitutional framework, fundamentally transforming the Constitution and containing significant potential for further institutional and structural reforms.

“Guarantees for the implementation and protection of constitutional rights and freedoms of individuals and citizens are being strengthened. While the presidential form of government is preserved, the organisation of unified state power is undergoing substantial change,” the Deputy Chair of the Constitutional Court said.

Key changes include:

• the introduction of a new model of a unicameral parliament;

• the expansion of forms of citizen participation in the governance of state affairs;

• increased effectiveness of human rights protection mechanisms and of the Constitutional Court’s activities in ensuring the supremacy of law based on the Constitution.

As Nurmukhanov emphasised, the constitutional innovations make it possible to reinterpret the mission of the state, the substance of its functions, define principles governing relations between state bodies, public organisations, and citizens, and more broadly involve civil society institutions in addressing matters of national importance.

“This allows us to speak of a fundamental transformation and renewal of the content of the Constitution,” he concluded.