A referendum on amendments to the Constitution will be held in Kazakhstan on June 5. The norm on Nazarbayev’s status may be removed from it

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree calling for a referendum to amend the country's constitution on June 5. He announced this in a video message.

The constitutional reform is aimed "at a comprehensive transformation of the entire state model," Tokayev said. In particular, according to him, the amendments are designed to consolidate Kazakhstan's transition from a "super-presidential" form of government to a presidential republic with an influential parliament.

According to Interfax, Tokayev ordered to submit to a referendum the draft law “On Amendments and Additions to the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan” with the following wording of the question: “Do you accept the amendments and additions to the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan set out in the draft Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Introducing amendments and additions to the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan "?". At the same time, the decree itself on holding a referendum, as well as the draft law with amendments, will be published in the media on May 6.

• Tokayev announced a referendum on amendments to Kazakhstan's constitution in April. The changes will affect more than 30 articles of the main law of the country. Among other things, it is expected that the provisions on the powers and status of the first president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev , may be excluded from the Constitution .
• The referendum law, which was in force until recently, prohibits the question of the status of the first president from being put to a vote. However, the Parliament of Kazakhstan reviewed and approved the amendments that exclude this provision in two days. On May 5, they were signed by Tokayev.
• In January 2022, large-scale riots took place in Kazakhstan, which began with protests against higher gas prices. To suppress them, Tokayev, in particular, invited the armed forces of the CSTO countries. Against the backdrop of unrest, the first president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, was removed from the post of head of the Security Council, many of his relatives lost their leadership positions.