{"faq_id":"b8cd8e71-52bb-4e98-8cde-a9396a85a1f8","code":"myths-constitution-always-good","kind":"faq","canonical_slug":"myths-constitution-always-good","section":{"id":9,"code":"myths","slug":"myths","title":"Myths"},"lang":"en","question":"Myth: 'If the Constitution Was Adopted by Referendum, It Must Be Perfect'","short_answer":"A referendum confers legitimacy – but not perfection. The US Constitution began by enshrining slavery. Kazakhstan's 1995 Constitution required 56 amendments in 2022. Every constitution is a compromise. That is precisely why the 2026 Constitution builds in mechanisms for renewal: the Constitutional Court, amendments, and the Khalyk Kenesi.","blocks":{"answer_html":"<h2>The myth</h2>\n<p>&quot;The people voted for it – so the Constitution is perfect and nothing in it needs to change.&quot;</p>\n<h2>The facts</h2>\n<p>A referendum confers <strong>legitimacy</strong> – the right to speak in the name of the people. But legitimacy is not the same as perfection.</p>\n<p><strong>No constitution in history has been perfect:</strong></p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>US Constitution (1787)</strong> – enshrined slavery. It took 78 years and a civil war to pass the Thirteenth Amendment. There have been 27 amendments in 237 years</li>\n<li><strong>French Constitution</strong> – the current one is the fifth (1958). Each of the previous four addressed the challenges of its time and became outdated</li>\n<li><strong>Kazakhstan's Constitution (1995)</strong> – was optimal for the transition period. But over 30 years, contradictions accumulated: the 2022 reform introduced 56 amendments, and the 2026 Constitution changes 84% of the text</li>\n</ul>\n<p><strong>Why this happens:</strong></p>\n<ul>\n<li>A constitution is a <strong>compromise</strong> among groups, interests, and values</li>\n<li>Society changes – what worked in 1995 does not work in 2026</li>\n<li>Practice reveals problems that cannot be foreseen at the 2026 Constitutioning stage</li>\n</ul>\n<h2>Mechanisms for renewal in the 2026 Constitution</h2>\n<p>The Constitution provides for its own updating:</p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Amendments</strong> – through the Kurultai (qualified majority) or referendum</li>\n<li><strong>Constitutional Court</strong> – interprets provisions, adapting them to new realities</li>\n<li><strong>Khalyk Kenesi</strong> – a feedback channel from society, with the right of legislative initiative</li>\n<li><strong>Constitutional laws</strong> – specify principles without changing the Constitution itself</li>\n</ul>\n<h2>Why this myth exists</h2>\n<p>There is a desire for a &quot;final answer&quot;: vote once and never have to think again. But a constitution is a living document. Criticism and renewal are signs of a mature society, not disrespect.</p>\n","facts_html":"<ul>\n<li>A referendum confers legitimacy but does not guarantee perfection</li>\n<li>US Constitution – 27 amendments in 237 years; Kazakhstan 1995 – 56 amendments in 2022</li>\n<li>The 2026 Constitution builds in renewal mechanisms: amendments, the Constitutional Court, Khalyk Kenesi</li>\n<li>Criticising a constitution is normal practice, protected by freedom of expression</li>\n</ul>\n","what_not_change_html":"","where_detailed_html":"","misconceptions_html":""},"updated_at":"2026-06-16T00:00:00+00:00","article_refs":[{"number":5,"title":"Supremacy of the Constitution"},{"number":41,"title":"Limits on Rights Restrictions"},{"number":92,"title":"Constitutional Amendments"},{"number":93,"title":"Constitutional Court Opinion"}],"entity_links":[{"type":"constitutional_article","number":5,"label":"Article 5","title":"Supremacy of the Constitution","href":"/full-text?lang=en#article-5"},{"type":"constitutional_article","number":41,"label":"Article 41","title":"Limits on Rights Restrictions","href":"/full-text?lang=en#article-41"},{"type":"constitutional_article","number":92,"label":"Article 92","title":"Constitutional Amendments","href":"/full-text?lang=en#article-92"},{"type":"constitutional_article","number":93,"label":"Article 93","title":"Constitutional Court Opinion","href":"/full-text?lang=en#article-93"}],"source_records":[{"id":"constitution-2026-official","type":"constitution","url":"https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/K2600000000","title":"Official publication of the 2026 Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan","publisher":"Adilet Legal Information System","checked_at":"2026-07-16","reviewed_at":"2026-07-19","checked_at_label":"16 July 2026"},{"id":"constitution-1995-gov-archive","type":"historical_legal_text","url":"https://www.gov.kz/uploads/2020/2/11/92594e9ba28352a961ca421505b4b79a_original.146163.pdf","title":"Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan of 1995 (official archive publication)","publisher":"Gov.kz","checked_at":"2026-07-16","reviewed_at":"2026-07-19","checked_at_label":"16 July 2026"},{"id":"constitutional-court-law","type":"constitutional_law","url":"https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/ksrk/documents/details/395513?lang=ru","title":"Constitutional Law on the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan","publisher":"Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan","checked_at":"2026-07-16","reviewed_at":"2026-07-19","checked_at_label":"16 July 2026"}],"verified_claims":[],"implementation_status":null,"source_schema_records":[{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Official publication of the 2026 Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan","url":"https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/K2600000000","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Adilet Legal Information System"},"dateModified":"2026-07-16"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan of 1995 (official archive publication)","url":"https://www.gov.kz/uploads/2020/2/11/92594e9ba28352a961ca421505b4b79a_original.146163.pdf","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Gov.kz"},"dateModified":"2026-07-16"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Constitutional Law on the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan","url":"https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/ksrk/documents/details/395513?lang=ru","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan"},"dateModified":"2026-07-16"}],"source_citation_urls":["https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/K2600000000","https://www.gov.kz/uploads/2020/2/11/92594e9ba28352a961ca421505b4b79a_original.146163.pdf","https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/ksrk/documents/details/395513?lang=ru"]}