Kazakhstan has entered a new constitutional era. The country's revised Basic Law, adopted in a nationwide referendum on March 15, came into force on July 1, replacing the bicameral parliament with a unicameral legislature. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev swiftly signed a decree scheduling parliamentary elections for August 23.
The Central Election Commission will accept candidate nominations from July 2 to July 13, with the official campaign period running from July 23 to August 22, the day of electoral silence. The newly elected parliament is expected to convene before the start of the political season on September 1.
End of an Era: Bicameral Parliament Dissolved
The outgoing Mazhilis and Senate held their final joint session on June 30, marking the end of Kazakhstan's bicameral system after three decades. Addressing lawmakers, President Tokayev described the session as historic, noting that the outgoing parliament had overseen one of the country's most significant periods of institutional transformation.
“Together, we have launched an irreversible process of transformation in the country, affecting absolutely every area of life, from the economic model to the system of social values,” Tokayev said.
He highlighted that more than 300 laws had been adopted during the current convocation, including major constitutional legislation and new tax and budget codes. The next parliament, he said, would focus on sustaining economic growth, curbing inflation, improving public administration, reducing bureaucracy, and attracting investment.
“Our main goal is to increase prosperity, ensure security, and improve the quality of life of citizens, making this indicator and the trend itself irreversible,” he added.
Political Realignment: Amanat Party Merges into Adilet
In a separate development, Tokayev welcomed the merger of the long-dominant Amanat party into the newly established Adilet party. Formed in April with the aim of supporting the implementation of the new constitution, Adilet (Kazakh for “justice”) initially had around 120,000 members. Following the merger, its membership is expected to reach roughly one million, making it the country's most influential political force.
Amanat, formerly known as Nur Otan, has been the ruling party in Kazakhstan for nearly three decades. It was created in 1999 from the campaign headquarters that supported ex-president Nursultan Nazarbayev in that year's presidential election. Whether this move signals a genuine political realignment or simply a rebranding of the dominant party remains unclear. Analysts suggest the picture will become clearer once parliamentary candidates are announced.
Constitutional Court Conference Marks New Era
Kazakhstan's Constitutional Court marked the constitution's entry into force with a scientific conference on June 30. Chairperson Elvira Azimova stated that the new Basic Law enshrines, for the first time, principles such as the protection of sovereignty, the rule of law, human rights, national unity, and the development of education, science, and innovation as constitutional priorities.
The new constitution replaces the 1995 Basic Law, which had been amended six times, most recently in the 2022 referendum. According to Zhaksybek Kulekeyev, a member of the Constitutional Commission, unlike previous amendments that largely focused on presidential powers, the new document represents a comprehensive redesign of Kazakhstan's political and constitutional system.
“This time, when it was announced that we would make changes to the constitution, people were suspicious. They wondered if our current president was also trying to extend his term. Now, we can say that all such suspicions are gone,” Kulekeyev explained.
Kazakhstan's political evolution is being closely watched in Brussels and other European capitals, as the Central Asian nation seeks to balance its ties with Russia, China, and the European Union. The country has also been investing in modernisation, including deploying AI in schools to bridge the urban-rural education gap and partnering with the UAE on a €1.2 billion wind farm as part of Central Asia's energy transition.
