President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev began receiving congratulations from foreign leaders on March 16 after Kazakhstan announced that voters had approved a new constitution in a nationwide referendum. As reported by The Times of Central Asia, turnout reached 73.12%, with 87.15% of voters supporting the proposed amendments.
The March 15 referendum backed sweeping institutional changes aimed at modernizing the political system and strengthening state institutions to meet the demands of a rapidly changing global landscape, including replacing Kazakhstan’s bicameral parliament with a single chamber, restoring the post of vice president, and creating a new People’s Council (Kurultai) with the power to initiate legislation and referendums.
Several regional leaders reached out directly to Tokayev after the results were announced. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev congratulated Tokayev during a telephone conversation on March 16. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also sent congratulatory messages.
Beyond Kazakhstan’s immediate regional partners, the U.S. Mission to Kazakhstan also publicly congratulated the people of Kazakhstan in a post on X following the referendum.
Tokayev has described the vote as a historic moment that will shape the country’s future political system. The government is now expected to begin implementing the constitutional changes, including preparing for new parliamentary elections under the revised framework.
