{"faq_id":"004d898f-c499-4a37-ac6f-6ea0c9b31cae","code":"myths-referendum-vs-parliament","kind":"faq","canonical_slug":"myths-referendum-vs-parliament","section":{"id":9,"code":"myths","slug":"myths","title":"Myths"},"lang":"en","question":"Myth: 'A Referendum Is Always Better Than Parliament Because the People Decide'","short_answer":"A referendum does not replace parliament – it complements it for fundamental questions. Voting on a budget or a tax code with a simple Yes/No is not feasible. The 2026 referendum is the appropriate case: 84% of the text is new, and the structure of power is fundamentally different.","blocks":{"answer_html":"<h2>The myth</h2>\n<p>&quot;Let the people decide everything through referendums – what do we need parliament for?&quot;</p>\n<h2>The facts</h2>\n<p>A referendum and a parliament solve different problems.</p>\n<p><strong>When a referendum is needed:</strong></p>\n<ul>\n<li>A new constitution – the foundation of the state, requiring the highest legitimacy</li>\n<li>Questions of sovereignty and territory</li>\n<li>Fundamental values on which society must speak directly</li>\n</ul>\n<p><strong>When parliament is more effective:</strong></p>\n<ul>\n<li>Budget – thousands of line items, compromises between sectors and regions</li>\n<li>Tax code – hundreds of pages of technical provisions</li>\n<li>International treaties – negotiations and legal expertise</li>\n<li>Current legislation – hundreds of acts per year; a referendum on each is impossible</li>\n</ul>\n<p><strong>Risks of &quot;referendum on everything&quot;:</strong></p>\n<ul>\n<li>Voter fatigue – in Switzerland, referendum turnout is often below 40%</li>\n<li>Populism – a complex question is reduced to Yes/No</li>\n<li>Manipulation of the wording – a question can be phrased to steer the answer</li>\n</ul>\n<h2>The 2026 Constitution – exactly the right case</h2>\n<p>A new constitution is a fundamental choice. 84% of the text is new. A unicameral Kurultai replaces a bicameral parliament; parliamentary functions expand from 13 to 23; the Khalyk Kenesi, the Vice President, and new rights are introduced. This is not a technical amendment – it is a choice of direction for the country. Such a decision belongs to the people.</p>\n<h2>Why this myth exists</h2>\n<p>Disillusionment with parliament: &quot;deputies do not represent our interests.&quot; But the solution is not to abolish parliament – it is to make it more effective. The new Constitution does exactly that: all 145 Kurultai deputies are directly elected, with quotas for women, young people, and people with disabilities.</p>\n","facts_html":"<ul>\n<li>A referendum is for fundamental questions (constitution, sovereignty)</li>\n<li>Parliament is more effective for current legislation (budget, taxes, treaties)</li>\n<li>2026 Constitution: 84% of text is new, parliamentary functions expand from 13 to 23 – the right case for a referendum</li>\n<li>After adoption, current laws are passed by the Kurultai (145 deputies), not by referendum</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":4,"title":"Popular Sovereignty and Referendum"},{"number":52,"title":"Kurultai"},{"number":92,"title":"Amending the Constitution by Referendum"}],"entity_links":[{"type":"constitutional_article","number":4,"label":"Article 4","title":"Popular Sovereignty and Referendum","href":"/full-text?lang=en#article-4"},{"type":"constitutional_article","number":52,"label":"Article 52","title":"Kurultai","href":"/full-text?lang=en#article-52"},{"type":"constitutional_article","number":92,"label":"Article 92","title":"Amending the Constitution by Referendum","href":"/full-text?lang=en#article-92"}],"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":"referendum-results-2026","type":"referendum_authority","url":"https://election.gov.kz/rus/news/releases/index.php?ID=10110","title":"Preliminary official results of the March 15, 2026 national referendum","publisher":"Central Referendum Commission of Kazakhstan","checked_at":"2026-07-16","reviewed_at":"2026-07-19","checked_at_label":"16 July 2026"},{"id":"kurultai-law-2026","type":"constitutional_law","url":"https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/Z2600000297","title":"Constitutional Law on the Kurultai 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"}],"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":"Preliminary official results of the March 15, 2026 national referendum","url":"https://election.gov.kz/rus/news/releases/index.php?ID=10110","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Central Referendum Commission of Kazakhstan"},"dateModified":"2026-07-16"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Constitutional Law on the Kurultai of the Republic of Kazakhstan","url":"https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/Z2600000297","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Adilet Legal Information System"},"dateModified":"2026-07-16"}],"source_citation_urls":["https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/K2600000000","https://election.gov.kz/rus/news/releases/index.php?ID=10110","https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/Z2600000297"]}