Kazakhstan President Tokayev suggests holding referendum on amending nation's constitution

Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Friday proposed to hold a referendum on the topic of modifying the nation's basic legislation in a bid to modernise and democratise the country's political system. During a meeting of the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan, Tokayev noted, "When these reforms were proposed, we thought that the draft amendments to the constitution would be considered by the parliament," ANI reported.  

Speaking on the same, Kazakhstan President Tokayev went on to say that this is one of the methods laid out in the incumbent legislation. He added, “However, the upcoming large-scale and significant changes will have a significant impact on the future of the country. Therefore, I propose to hold a republican referendum on amendments to the constitution,” according to an ANI report. 

Furthermore, President Tokayev stated that changing the constitution by popular vote would make the people's wish perfectly clear. According to a Tass report, he underscored that a referendum would allow all citizens to directly partake in selecting the nation's destiny and will also enhance a strategy aimed at fully democratising the country and constructing a new Kazakhstan.  

This announcement came only a few days after Tokayev authorised the National Action Plan to carry out the changes he pledged in his state of the nation speech on March 16, "New Kazakhstan: The Path of Renewal and Modernisation.”  

Tokayev offered a comprehensive modernisation proposal to create 'New Kazakhstan'

Earlier last month, Tokayev proposed constitutional revisions to limit his office's powers, stating the Central Asian country needs to transition from "super presidential" control to political modernisation, with an emphasis on citizens' involvement in managing the state, especially through election procedures. 

According to ANI, Tokayev had offered a comprehensive modernisation proposal based on what he saw as a 'long-standing public demand' for significant reforms, with the goal of creating a "New Kazakhstan." The plan, which was authorised by presidential decree on March 29, not only establishes concrete deadlines for reform implementation through numerous legal acts but also outlines clear roles and responsibilities for state bodies in meeting those deadlines. 

In addition to this, the plan, according to the Kazakhstan Embassy, includes 10 main topics that were previously described in the speech. They include restricting the President's powers, such as terminating his or her membership in a political party for the duration of their tenure of office, prohibiting close relatives of the President from holding high posts in the political civil service and the quasi-public sector, and so on. 

Another important issue is electoral reform, which involves the changeover to a mixed electoral system. Changes to the law will also be made to improve chances for the nation's party system to thrive, ANI reported. 

(Image: AP)