Tokayev Calls New Constitution Kazakhstan's Political Platform for Development

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has once again expressed gratitude to all citizens who contributed to the drafting of the new Constitution.

Speaking at the III Republican Forum of Deputies of Maslikhats of All Levels in Astana, Tokayev emphasized that the new Constitution, in its essence, is a truly national document. He stated that this crucial text is now dedicated to serving the people, particularly the younger generation and youth.

"The new Constitution is essentially a life guide in the hands of young citizens who will have to build and defend our country in the coming era of great change. Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that this Constitution is a political platform for Kazakhstan's sustainable development for decades to come," the Head of State told forum participants.

He added that this constitutional reform should be viewed in light of amendments made in 2022. "Back then, amendments affected almost a third of the articles of the Basic Law, meaning we could have adopted a new Constitution at that time. This was discussed on public platforms and in expert circles. But it was then decided to begin updating the country's constitutional foundations after testing a number of political innovations. I won't hide it—that was my decision," Tokayev noted.

The President explained that the current constitutional reform became a response to society's demands, thus acquiring its national character.

"I remind you that initially, parliamentary reform was on the agenda, but public discussions went far beyond this initiative. About four thousand proposals were received from citizens. Of these, only about fifteen percent concerned Parliament's activities; all others directly touched upon various aspects of comprehensive constitutional reform. Subsequently, within the work of the Constitutional Commission, the number of appeals reached twelve thousand," he stressed.

The President also recalled that discussion of the draft Basic Law lasted more than six months with media coverage.

"The deep involvement of society in this process is evidenced by numerous responses and opinions from citizens sent to eGov and eOtinish platforms. The number of views for live broadcasts of Constitutional Commission meetings on social networks exceeded one million," Kassym-Jomart Tokayev added.

"I am categorically against reforms for reform's sake." - Tokayev