'In essence, this is a new Constitution' - Tokayev on the working group’s proposals

Tengrinews.kz — A meeting of the working group on parliamentary reform was held in Astana with the participation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, citing Akorda.
Since October last year, the working group has reviewed the full range of issues related to the functioning of a new unicameral Parliament. These include the number of lawmakers, the length of parliamentary terms, the electoral system, legislative procedures, and interaction with other branches of government.
Speaking about the scope and significance of the political reform, President Tokayev emphasized that the country is facing a profound restructuring of its institutional foundations and a comprehensive reformatting of the legislative branch.

“Tomorrow, at the meeting of the National Kurultai, I will present my specific ideas on this issue. In fact, a fundamentally new political model is being formed in the country. Implementing parliamentary reform will require revising several sections of the Constitution at once. Therefore, taking into account the amendments already introduced into our Basic Law, the package of proposals developed by the working group allows us to speak, in essence, about considering a new Constitution of Kazakhstan,” the President said.

Summing up the meeting, Tokayev noted that nearly six months have passed since discussions on constitutional reform began.

“Over this period, society as a whole has developed a correct understanding of the goals and objectives of the upcoming transformation of the country’s highest legislative body,” Akorda said in a statement.

The President also stressed that he is closely following public debates that began after his September Address to the Nation. He carefully reviews the outcomes of discussions, expert assessments, draft amendments, and numerous proposals submitted by citizens regarding constitutional reform.
Earlier, Tokayev emphasized the importance of taking into account all opinions and initiatives expressed during the discussions. He also stated that the final decision on constitutional reform will be made by the citizens of Kazakhstan through a nationwide referendum.
Previously, the Director of the Institute of Parliamentarism, Natalya Pan, presented a summary of proposals submitted by citizens, experts, and civil society activists. Since October last year, around 600 proposals have been received via the “Parliamentary Reform” section on the e-Otinish and eGov platforms. Contributors include political parties, anti-corruption movements, professional legal associations, research institutes, civic initiative groups, and academic legal scholars, who continue to provide expert recommendations.
Pan also noted that, alongside proposals on parliamentary reform, citizens and public organizations are actively submitting broader suggestions related to constitutional reform as well.