Strasbourg — A group of parliamentarians from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has voiced support for Kazakhstan’s recent constitutional overhaul, calling the nationwide referendum of 15th March 2026 “a new stage of reforms.”
In a written declaration titled “Constitutional Referendum in Kazakhstan: A New Stage of Reforms”, the lawmakers welcomed the political changes initiated by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The document was authored by Turkish MP Mehmet Akalın (İYİ Party, Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe) and signed by 22 PACE members from various political groups and countries.Main points of the declaration:The referendum is viewed as an important step in Kazakhstan’s institutional transformation and modernisation of public administration.
Signatories support the aims of the constitutional amendments, including a move toward a more balanced power structure, stronger accountability mechanisms, improved access to constitutional justice, and enhanced human rights protections.
The declaration notes constructive dialogue between Kazakhstan and the Council of Europe on constitutional matters, rule of law, and human rights.
Kazakhstan is described as a reliable partner in the Eurasian region.
The statement comes as Kazakhstan prepares for early parliamentary elections in August 2026. These will be the first elections to the new unicameral legislature (Kurultai), which replaced the previous bicameral parliament following the entry into force of the updated Constitution on 1 July 2026.
The vote is seen as a key test of the country’s reform process.The reforms follow the political changes launched after the January 2022 unrest, with Tokayev seeking to reduce the influence of the former presidential system and strengthen the role of parliament and other institutions.
The full text of the PACE declaration (Doc. 16454) is available on the official website of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
Main Image: By Lmathieucoe – Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=150347329
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