He noted that the government will work on this reform over the next year, and a nationwide referendum could take place as early as 2027.
“I believe that discussing such an important issue will require at least a year, after which a referendum can be held in 2027 and amendments to the Constitution can be made,” the president added.
Tokayev also mentioned the completion of the missions of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan and the National Kurultai. In this regard, he proposed to abolish the presidential quota and the quota of the Assembly, while retaining quotas for women, youth, and people with disabilities.
According to the plan, the new parliament will consist of 145 mandates, and the term of office will be 5 years.
Currently, the parliament of Kazakhstan is bicameral, including the Senate and the Mazhilis.
The Senate is formed from deputies who are indirectly elected through local representative bodies (maslikhats) and appointed by the president.
The Mazhilis, in turn, consists of deputies elected in general elections and serves as the main chamber for lawmaking. 70% of deputies are elected from party lists, while 30% are elected from single-member districts.
If Kazakhs support the proposed initiative, the new unicameral parliament will be formed exclusively from party lists, noted Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. He also suggested naming the new parliament Kurultai.
