What matters most in Constitution 2026 right now
Which rules apply, how the new rights work, and what is confirmed about the institutions
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Eight explainers to start exploring the changes.
What Changed on July 1, 2026
Since July 1, 2026, the Constitution has been in force. The digital-rights provisions and detention safeguards under Article 18 now apply; detention periods are set by law.
Which New Institutions Come Next
Erlan Karin was appointed Vice President on 31 August 2026 by Decree No. 1417. The law on the People’s Council is in force; its Secretariat was created on 2 July.
What We Already Know About the 2026 Kurultai Elections
The Kurultai election was held on 23 August 2026. The CEC published the results on 25 August; the first session opened on 28 August. The Kurultai is a unicameral parliament of 145 deputies.
Law on the Kurultai – building a new parliament from scratch
The law on the Kurultai was signed on June 5, 2026. It fixes a unicameral parliament of 145 deputies elected by proportional representation, and on July 1 the President signed the decree calling the first...
Kurultai: Kazakhstan's New Parliament
The Kurultai is the unicameral parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The 2026 Constitution replaces the bicameral structure of the Senate and Mazhilis with a single representative body of 145 deputies...
Constitutional Court
The Constitutional Court is an independent body of constitutional review. A citizen may challenge a normative legal act that directly affects their constitutional rights, but the constitutional law sets...
Basic Rights and Freedoms in the Constitution
The Constitution guarantees core personal, political, social, and digital rights. Below is what the 2026 Constitution now protects directly, which guarantees became stronger, and where to go if a right...
How to Protect Your Constitutional Rights
If a right is violated, the right path depends on the situation: an ordinary court, the Constitutional Court, the ombudsperson, or the prosecutor's office.
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Vice President of the Republic of Kazakhstan
The Vice President is a new constitutional office created to ensure continuity of governance, coordination, and institutional stability. Appointed by the President with the consent of the Kurultai, the Vice President acts on the President's instructions and does not constitute an independently elected political centre.
Open explainerPresident of the Republic of Kazakhstan
The President is the head of state, guarantor of the Constitution, and protector of the rights and freedoms of citizens. The 2026 Constitution preserves the presidential form of government and strengthens checks and balances through Kurultai consent for several defined appointments.
Open explainerGovernment of the Republic of Kazakhstan
The Government is the highest executive body responsible for implementing state policy, managing the economy, social development, and public administration. It is formed by the President and is accountable to both the President and the Kurultai under the new constitutional model.
Open explainerLocal Government and Self-Government
Local government and self-government are the institutions through which public authority is exercised at the level closest to citizens. They include local executive bodies, representative bodies, and self-government mechanisms that address everyday issues such as infrastructure, services, local budgets, and community development.
Open explainerHow Citizen Appeals and Petitions Differ
Article 35 of the Constitution preserves the right to submit individual and collective appeals. Petitions are governed by Chapter 12-1 of the Administrative Procedural Code: they are a separate process for addressing public and local authorities, not a direct citizen right to introduce bills in the Kurultai.
Open explainerWhat Is the Constitution
The Constitution is the fundamental law of the state that defines the structure of power, citizens' rights, and the basic rules of society. It is not a political program or ideological manifesto but the legal foundation upon which all other laws are built. The Constitution establishes the "rules of the game" for everyone – from the president to ordinary citizens.
Open explainerKey Changes in the New Constitution
The new Constitution preserves the foundations of statehood but changes the architecture of power and strengthens citizens' rights. Key changes: transition to a unicameral parliament, introduction of the Vice President, expansion of digital rights, and strengthened mechanisms of popular oversight.
Open explainerWhy We Are Updating the Constitution
The 1995 Constitution laid the foundations of an independent state. But over 30 years, the economy, technology, public expectations, and governance institutions have changed. Updating the Constitution is not abandoning previous values but aligning the legal system with the reality of 2026.
Open explainerFull Text of the New Constitution
Here you can access the full text of the new Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan online in Kazakh and Russian, along with official publications and comparative materials.
Open explainerHow the New Constitution Was Developed
The new Constitution was created openly, with the participation of experts, citizens, and representatives of all regions. The process took six months – from September 2025 to February 2026 – and included collecting proposals, expert review, public discussions, and coordination.
Open explainerHow to Read the Constitution
It's better to read the Constitution in blocks rather than sequentially: first rights and freedoms, then the power structure and amendment procedure.
Open explainerWhat Types of Laws Exist and How They Relate to Each Other
The hierarchy runs: Constitution → constitutional laws → laws → presidential decrees → government resolutions → ministerial orders. Any lower-ranking act that contradicts a higher-ranking one has no legal force. The Constitution sits at the top.
Open explainerI Was Detained by Police – What Are My Rights
If detained, establish the reason and actual time, request a lawyer and do not sign documents whose content has not been explained. Article 18 leaves detention periods to law; seek legal assistance for a concrete case.
Open explainerWhat Rights a Person Has Upon Detention
If detained, establish the reason and actual time, request a lawyer and retain the documents. Article 18 leaves detention periods to law; the applicable procedure depends on the type of proceeding and the person’s status.
Open explainerWhat Digital Rights Mean in the New Constitution
The 2026 Constitution expressly protects personal data and the secrecy of communications transmitted using digital technologies. The legal grounds for processing data, accessing communications, and restricting information remain defined by law; biometric data are regulated under personal-data legislation rather than named separately in the Constitution.
Open explainerCan Rights and Freedoms Be Limited
Rights may be limited only by law and only to the extent necessary for the aims in Article 41. Political restrictions are prohibited, and the rights in Articles 12, 14, 16, 17, 20, 22, and 25 may not be limited in any circumstances.
Open explainerWhat Does the 'Direct Effect' of the Constitution Mean
Direct effect allows a person to invoke a constitutional provision, but it does not dispense with evidence, time limits, procedure or requirements of special legislation. In a concrete dispute, read the constitutional text with the applicable procedure.
Open explainerWhat Duties Citizens Have Under the Constitution
The Constitution establishes both rights and citizens’ duties. Duties are not the price of having rights: their scope, performance and consequences are determined by the Constitution and special laws.
Open explainerHow Rights Are Limited During Emergency and Wartime
A state of emergency or martial law may involve temporary limits, but their legal basis, scope and duration must follow the Constitution and special law. Each measure should be assessed against the specific regime and act.
Open explainerMy Personal Data Was Leaked – What Should I Do
The Constitution protects personal data against unlawful collection, processing, storage, and use, including with digital technologies. If your data are leaked, preserve evidence, contact the data operator, and submit a complaint to the Information Security Committee.
Open explainerNational Bank
The National Bank is the central bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Its primary objective is price stability; it also works on monetary policy, payment systems, currency regulation and financial stability. The Chair of the National Bank is appointed by the President.
Open explainerProsecutor General
The prosecution service exercises the highest supervision over legality on behalf of the state within the limits and forms established by law. The President appoints and dismisses the Prosecutor General, who serves one non-renewable six-year term.
Open explainerWhat Local Self-Government Is and How It Differs from Local Administration
Local administration is a top-down hierarchy: akims appointed from the centre. Local self-government is a bottom-up initiative: residents themselves decide what to repair and build. Since 2021, village akims are elected by residents. The 2026 Constitution enshrines self-government at the constitutional level.
Open explainerWhat the Maslikhat Does
The maslikhat is the local representative body through which local interests, oversight, and political accountability are expressed. Local governance should not consist only of executive administration – it must also include representation and public scrutiny.
Open explainerWhy Local Self-Government Matters
Local self-government matters because it is the level of public power closest to people’s everyday lives. It determines how communities are heard, how local priorities are set, and how quickly public problems can be identified and addressed.
Open explainerWhat the Local People’s Council Is
The local People’s Council is a proposed participation mechanism at the local level through which residents, community representatives, experts, and civil society actors can discuss local issues and communicate them to public authorities. It is intended as a channel of dialogue, not a replacement for elected local institutions.
Open explainerHow a Citizen Can Participate in Governing the Country
Participation extends beyond elections: citizens may submit appeals, join peaceful assemblies and public councils, apply to the Constitutional Court, and support petitions under the Administrative Procedural Code. You can stand for election to a maslikhat from age 20 and to the Kurultai from age 25.
Open explainerWhat the Akim Does
The akim is the head of the local executive authority and is responsible for administration, implementation of state policy, and management of local affairs within the relevant territory. In everyday life, the akim’s role is highly visible because it directly affects services, infrastructure, and local development.
Open explainerWhat Public Oversight Means
Public oversight means that citizens, experts, media, and civil society organizations can monitor public decisions and the way they are implemented. In the new constitutional model, it forms part of democratic participation beyond elections.
Open explainerWhat the Kazakhstan People’s Council Is
The Kazakhstan People’s Council is the highest constitutional consultative body representing the interests of the people. It has 126 members, with 42 drawn from each of three groups – ethnocultural associations, public and other non-profit organisations, and maslikhats and public councils. It may issue recommendations, introduce bills in the Kurultai, and initiate a nationwide vote.
Open explainerWhat Role Civil Society Plays
Civil society is the sphere of organizations, communities, experts, initiatives, and associations that exist outside the state but actively influence public life. Under the new constitutional model, civil society gains a stronger role as a channel through which citizens can shape discussion, oversight, and reform.
Open explainerWhat the New Constitution Changes for an Ordinary Person
Constitutional change does not usually transform daily life overnight, but it can significantly affect how rights are protected, how public authority is exercised, how local participation works, and how the state interacts with citizens over time.
Open explainerHow the Relationship Between International Treaties and National Laws Will Change
The relationship between an international treaty and national law depends on the Constitution, the treaty’s legal status and the applicable legislation. For a concrete dispute, read the official text, ratification act and relevant procedure together.
Open explainerHow to Discuss the Constitution With Family, Friends, or Colleagues
Discuss the Constitution by focusing on the actual text, before-and-after comparisons, and practical examples rather than slogans or out-of-context excerpts. The goal should be understanding, not winning an argument.
Open explainerHow to Check Information About the Constitution
The safest way to verify claims about the Constitution is to compare them with the full text, official comparison tables, and official explanatory materials. Social-media posts and short quotations often leave out context and can create a distorted impression.
Open explainerI Was Fired – What Are My Constitutional Rights
The Constitution guarantees the right to work and protection against unemployment. If dismissed unlawfully, you can turn to the court, the labour inspectorate, or the ombudsman. The new Constitution strengthens social guarantees and prohibits discrimination.
Open explainerI Want to Start a Business – What Does the Constitution Guarantee
The Constitution establishes freedom of enterprise, property rights and judicial protection. Starting a business and resolving a dispute also require compliance with sector-specific law, documentation and time limits.
Open explainerWhat the Constitution Says About Property and Business
The Constitution establishes property rights and freedom of enterprise. For a dispute about property, land, a contract or market access, special laws, procedure and the documents of the concrete case also matter.
Open explainerMy Child Was Refused Entry to School – What Does the Constitution Say
The Constitution guarantees compulsory free secondary education. If a child is not admitted, keep the notice and verify the stated reason with the school and education authority; the next step depends on the circumstances.
Open explainerHow the Constitution Protects the Right to Education and Health
The Constitution establishes core guarantees for education and health. Admission to school, the scope of free care, service quality and the route for challenge depend on special law and the concrete circumstances.
Open explainerHow to Read Constitutional Changes Correctly
Constitutional change is easiest to understand when read historically rather than as isolated legal fragments. The best approach is to compare the previous and proposed texts and place them in the sequence of 1993, 1995, 2022, and 2026.
Open explainerWhat the 2022 Constitutional Reforms Changed
The 2022 constitutional reforms were aimed at rebalancing Kazakhstan’s political system. They marked a shift away from an overly centralised model toward a more balanced institutional arrangement, and served as a direct precursor to the deeper reforms of 2026.
Open explainerWhat the 1993 Constitution Was
The 1993 Constitution was the first Constitution of independent Kazakhstan. It established the legal foundations of sovereignty and marked the transition from the Soviet legal order to a national constitutional system. It remained, however, a transitional document and was soon superseded by a more stable constitutional model.
Open explainerHow Kazakhstan Reached the 2026 Constitution
The 2026 Constitution did not emerge suddenly. It is the product of a long constitutional evolution that began with independence in 1991, passed through the Constitutions of 1993 and 1995, and accelerated significantly after the constitutional changes of 2022.
Open explainerMyth: 'If the Law Says So, the Constitution Doesn't Matter'
Myth: 'The law is the law – the Constitution has nothing to do with it.' Fact: the Constitution stands above any law. If a law contradicts the Constitution, it has no legal force. The Constitutional Court strikes down unconstitutional provisions on any citizen's application – free of charge via eGov.
Open explainer“The People's Council replaces Parliament”
No. The People's Council is a consultative body without the power to pass laws. Only the Kurultai adopts laws. The Council may submit initiatives, but they are not automatically binding.
Open explainer“The Kurultai is just the Mazhilis under a new name”
It is not a simple rename: the Senate is abolished, presidential appointments are removed, the election system changes, the threshold rises from 5% to 7%, and women, young people, and persons with disabilities must jointly make up at least 30% of a party list.
Open explainerMyth: 'The Constitution Doesn't Work Anyway, So What's Written in It Doesn't Matter'
The claim that 'the Constitution doesn't work' is a common myth. Since 2023, the Constitutional Court has accepted dozens of applications from ordinary citizens and struck down several unconstitutional provisions. Applications are free and submitted via eGov. The Constitution works – when people use it.
Open explainerMyth: “The new Constitution will improve life immediately”
A Constitution is a legal foundation, not an automatic outcome. Real change depends on laws, court practice, and civic use. The distance between a norm and daily reality is usually measured in years of institutional work.
Open explainerMyth: 'The Constitution Is All About Rights and Nobody Mentions Duties'
Myth: 'The Constitution is just about demanding rights; duties are forgotten.' Fact: the section is titled 'Rights, Freedoms and Duties.' Duties are written out explicitly: taxes, defence, care for children and parents, protection of the environment. Rights and duties are inseparable.
Open explainerMyth: “Any Constitution is good simply because it is a Constitution”
Not every constitution is good merely by virtue of existing. A constitution can be democratic and rights-protecting, or it can be vague, overly centralized, weak in guarantees, and ineffective in practice. What matters is not the title of the document, but its content, safeguards, and real operation.
Open explainerHow is the People's Council formed?
The body has 126 members divided into three equal groups: ethnocultural associations (42), NGOs and civil society (42), and maslikhats plus regions (42). Candidates are nominated by those structures and then approved by the President.
Open explainerWhen will the Vice President appear and how is the office filled?
Erlan Karin was appointed Vice President on 31 August 2026 by Decree No. 1417. Under the Constitution, the Vice President is appointed by the President with the consent of the Kurultai.
Open explainerWhen Will Kurultai Elections Be Held
The Kurultai election was held on 23 August 2026. The CEC published the results on 25 August; the first session opened on 28 August. The Kurultai is a unicameral parliament of 145 deputies.
Open explainerWhat Happens During the Transition Period
The transition period from March 16 to June 30, 2026 is complete. Key laws were signed on June 5, the new Constitution entered into force on July 1, and the decree calling Kurultai elections has been signed.
Open explainerLaw on the President – what changes?
The constitutional law on the President was signed on June 5, 2026. It already aligns presidential powers with the new Constitution by introducing the office of Vice President and the new order of succession.
Open explainerWhen will the Vice President appear and what is the role?
Erlan Karin was appointed Vice President on 31 August 2026 by Decree No. 1417. Under the Constitution, the Vice President is appointed by the President with the consent of the Kurultai.
Open explainerHow will the Kurultai be formed?
The Kurultai is a unicameral supreme representative body of 145 deputies. The constitutional law on the Kurultai was signed on June 5, 2026, and on July 1 the President signed the decree calling the first elections. The first Kurultai deputy elections were held on August 23, 2026.
Open explainerWhen did the new constitutional laws take effect?
Some of the key laws were already signed on June 5, 2026. The Constitution itself took effect on July 1, and the next steps now depend on the signed decree for Kurultai elections and on the institutions tied to the new parliament.
Open explainerLaw on the Constitutional Court – what changes?
The Constitutional Court retains its role as guarantor of constitutional supremacy. The new model changes the composition from 11 to 10 judges, the appointment process, and term length; citizen applications have been accepted since January 1, 2023.
Open explainerWhat constitutional laws were signed on June 5, 2026?
Four core laws cover the President, the Kurultai, the Constitutional Court, and the Kazakhstan People's Council. They entered into force on July 1, 2026. The Kurultai law sets 145 seats, a 7% threshold, and an aggregate quota of at least 30% for women, young people, and persons with disabilities; citizen access to the Constitutional Court has operated since 2023.
Open explainerHow are office terms counted after the new Constitution entered into force?
On July 7, 2026, the Constitutional Court explained that holding the relevant office under the 1995 Constitution does not itself prevent a new election or appointment. For limits in the new Constitution, an election or appointment after July 1, 2026 is treated as the first.
Open explainerHow is the Kurultai different from the Mazhilis and the Senate?
The Kurultai is a unicameral parliament. The Senate and presidential appointments to parliament are abolished. There are 145 deputies instead of 147 and the threshold rises from 5% to 7%. Women, young people, and persons with disabilities must jointly make up at least 30% of a party list.
Open explainerHow will digital rights work in practice?
The new Constitution for the first time enshrines personal data protection and the right to submit electronic appeals to state bodies. Implementation will require subordinate legislation – expected in 2026–2027.
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