Tokayev Addresses Speculation On Constitutional Amendments Intention

• 3.01.2024, 13:35

To run for president in 2026.

A referendum on amendments to the Constitution will not be held in Kazakhstan, the provision on a single presidential term will remain unchanged, said head of state Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Tokayev called rumors that he is going to rewrite the country's Basic Law in order to be able to run for president in 2026 a fake.

“This is false information. From now on, everyone will not be able to do what they want and make changes to the Constitution. And when we are talking about such an important issue (like the number of presidential terms — TMT), this is not even possible. I firmly believe in this,” he said in an interview with Egemen Kazakhstan.

Tokayev recalled that it was precisely in order to avoid such abuses of power that the country carried out a constitutional reform in 2022, which abolished the powers of the “super president” and limited the rule to one seven-year term. At the referendum, more than 77% of citizens supported these amendments.

“The whole country supported my initiative. This is the end of this story. The rule that a president can only be elected once will never change again. This norm is as unshakable as the norms on independence, unitarity, territorial integrity and the form of government of our state,” he emphasized.

Tokayev recalled that now any changes and additions to the Constitution can be submitted to a republican referendum or for consideration by parliament only if there is a positive conclusion from the Constitutional Court. There are eleven judges on the bench. Six of them, that is, the majority, are appointed by the chambers of the parliament, and the chairman is appointed by the president, but with the consent of the Senate.

Tokayev also added that after the mass unrest that occurred in January 2022, there were fears in Kazakhstan that “now the authorities will tighten their grip and do everything to preserve the regime.” “But we did the opposite. Although it was difficult, we chose the right path,” he concluded.