The new Constitution of Kazakhstan has come into force on July 1, and the country’s bicameral Parliament will now be replaced by a unicameral Kurultai.
“The entry into force of the new Constitution is a historic event that will have a direct impact on the future of our nation. Our Basic Law opens the way to a new stage of large-scale political and social transformation,” President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at a Joint Session of the Two Chambers of Parliament on June 30.
Tokayev added that he will sign a Decree calling elections to the new Kurultai.
He said that the goal to transform Kazakhstan into a developed digital state within three years remains in place. “Our primary objective is to raise living standards, ensure security, improve the quality of life of our citizens, and make these gains irreversible.”
“Our fundamental formula of state power – ‘A Strong President – An Influential Kurultai – An Accountable Government’ – has now found full institutional expression.
“Within the renewed balance of powers, the President has retained his key role as a symbol of the Independence and unity of the state, the guarantor of the Constitution, and the protector of the lawful rights and freedoms of our citizens.
“Kazakhstan remains a presidential republic, where the President serves as the head of state, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, appoints the heads of all law enforcement agencies, determines the country’s main domestic and foreign policy priorities, and represents our state on the international stage.
“At the same time, the modernization process calls for the further transformation of the parliamentary system.
“The Kurultai will be tasked with eliminating unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles, improving the speed and quality of the legislative process, and ensuring the effective engagement of qualified experts and advisers.
“In the era of comprehensive digitalization and artificial intelligence, the Kurultai will have to work at an accelerated pace to ensure that national legislation keeps up with the rapidly changing realities of the digital environment. This is a critically important task because it will determine Kazakhstan’s readiness to compete globally.
“The Kurultai is intended to serve as a platform for an open nationwide dialogue, responding promptly to the issues of public concern. This means that the specific concerns of our citizens must be treated as a priority, with appropriate instructions issued to government bodies through the relevant regulatory legal acts.”
Tokayev proposed establishing a new constitutional body – the Kazakhstan Halyk Kenesi (People’s Council of Kazakhstan) – which will bring together representatives of maslikhats, public councils, expert platforms, and civil society organizations.
The Halyk Kenesi will also assume the functions previously carried out by the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan.
“Thus, while the institutional structure will change, the fundamental essence of national unity – the guiding principle of our domestic policy – will remain unchanged. The Halyk Kenesi will be the first constitutional dialogue platform in our nation’s history and a symbol of Kazakhstan’s unique diversity,” the President said.
Photo: akorda.kz
