“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 a 30% gender quota is introduced.

Updated: 2026-06-13 This page is updated as new official acts, decrees, and clarifications are published.
Myths
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Myth

“The Kurultai is just the Mazhilis with a new label.”

Fact

The new model changes not the signboard, but the entire parliamentary architecture.

What Changes in Substance

  • The Senate is abolished — the bicameral model disappears.
  • Presidential appointments are removed — there are no more appointed Senate seats.
  • The election system changes — the Kurultai is formed under a new model.
  • The threshold rises from 5% to 7%.
  • A 30% gender quota is introduced.

Why the Myth Appears

From a distance it may look as though only the name changed because parliament still passes laws. But the structure, formation process, and logic of representation are all different.

Conclusion

The Kurultai is not “the same Mazhilis,” but a new constitutional model of parliament.

Related questions

Myth: “Everything changes the next day after the referendum”

No. Citizens voted on March 15, the key laws were signed on June 5, and the Constitution enters into force on 1 July 2026. The legal system does not transform overnight: elections, decrees, and institutional launch follow in sequence.

Myth: “Boycott is the strongest political response”

A boycott is not always the strongest strategy. According to the CEC, turnout reached 70.98% – the 50% threshold was exceeded. 87.15% voted in favor. The Constitution was adopted.

Myth: 'If the Constitution Was Adopted by Referendum, It Must Be Perfect'

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.

Myth: “If a referendum has only one question, there is no real choice”

A single-question referendum is not automatically fake, invalid, or meaningless. If the issue submitted is a unified constitutional project, one question can reflect a yes-or-no decision on the project as a whole. The key issue is not the number of questions but whether citizens have enough information to make an informed choice.