Constitution - The Times Of Central Asia

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Rule of law

As Kazakhstan Marks Constitution Day, What Does the Occasion Really Symbolize?

Kazakhstan marks Constitution Day on August 30, an event inaugurated by the country’s second and current president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The day has taken on a new meaning since the events of January 2022, when a violent coup-attempt challenged Tokayev’s authority and caused deadly destruction in the nation. Since then, the country has adopted various democratic and economic reforms. Most significantly, key amendments to the country’s constitution were adopted following a national referendum in 2022. One of the main changes was to limit the president’s time in office to a single seven-year term and banning consecutive terms. In 2022, Tokayev was re-elected under the new rules and his presidential term will now expire in 2029. The first constitution of independent Kazakhstan was adopted in January 1993 and was based on the model of a parliamentary republic. It incorporated laws on sovereignty, the independence of the state, the Kazakh language as the state language, the president as head of state, and identified the country’s judicial bodies as the Supreme Court, Constitutional Court, and Higher Arbitration Court. The current constitution was then adopted on 30 August 1995 through a national referendum. It was amended in 1998, 2007, 2011, 2017, and 2019. The most significant changes, however, took place in the above-mentioned referendum after the mass unrests of January 2022. On May 5, 2022, Tokayev announced a referendum on amendments “to transition to a new state model, a new format of interaction between the state and society … from a super-presidential form of government to a presidential republic with an influential parliament and an accountable government.” The referendum was held on June 5, 2022, and 77% of the people supported the changes. Overall, 33 articles of the current constitution were amended. Today’s celebrations mark this new and improved constitution that represents a significant step in the path forward for Tokayev’s New Kazakhstan

Social Legislation Constitution

Kazakhstan’s Constitution Now Published in Braille

The Kazakh Constitutional Court has presented the first edition of the country's Constitution printed in Braille, making it accessible to the visually-impaired. The initiative to translate copy of Kazakhstan's Basic Law into Braille (relief-dot tactile font) was realized with support from the OSCE Program Office in Astana and the Ministry of Culture and Information. Welcoming the move, Chair of the Constitutional Court of Kazakhstan Elvira Azimova stated: “The Constitutional Court will continue to promote equality, dignity, and justice for everyone according to the Constitution of Kazakhstan and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The publication of the Braille text of the Constitution is our joint contribution to promoting this policy." Volker Frobart, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, emphasized the Kazakh authorities' commitment to valuing human rights and demonstrating an inclusive approach to ensure equal access to information. Publications in Braille will be distributed to 56 institutions, including national and regional libraries, training centers, and specialized schools. According to the World Health Organization, Kazakhstan is currently home to 160 thousand visually- impaired citizens.

Kyrgyzstan Kazakhstan Turkey Central Asia Constitution Referendum Government

Turkish referendum: sending the wrong signal to Central Asia

LONDON (TCA) — It all looks like a shameful charade. But on a slightly longer term, Turkey’s referendum can be considered a step backward rather than forward and is certain to create more problems than it could possibly solve. It goes in the opposite direction of a trend emerging throughout Central Asia away from personality rule and towards a more collective form of government. While expected to have little immediate geopolitical spillover, the message sent by Turkey’s narrow majority in the direction of Central Asia is most of all psychological – and it is the wrong message. Continue reading

Kazakhstan Parliament Constitution Power succession

Nazarbayev signs Kazakhstan constitutional amendments into law

ASTANA (TCA) — Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev on March 10 signed into law constitutional amendments transferring some powers from the country’s president to parliament and government ministers, the Kazakh presidential press service said. Continue reading

Constitution Kazakhstan Parliament Government Power succession

Approved by parliament, Kazakh constitutional amendments submitted to president for signing

ASTANA (TCA) — On March 6, Kazakhstan’s Parliament approved the law "On Amendments and Additions to the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan" and submitted the bill to the Head of State for signature, the Kazakh presidential press service said. Continue reading

Kazakhstan Referendum Land Constitution

Kazakhstan not to hold referendum on constitutional amendments

ASTANA (TCA) — Speaking to a working group for the constitutional reform on March 1, Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev said that he made a decision to amend the Constitution by the discussion in the Parliament, without submitting it to a referendum, the presidential press service said. Continue reading