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.

Kurultai Supreme Representative Body

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 elected through a nationwide proportional system. Its constitutional powers are significantly greater than those of the previous parliament.

Government 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.

The Constitutional Court is the supreme body of constitutional review, ensuring the supremacy of the Constitution and protecting the constitutional rights of citizens. Its decisions are final, binding, and take effect immediately after pronouncement.

President 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 President ensures the coordinated functioning of all branches of government and represents Kazakhstan domestically and internationally. The 2026 Constitution preserves the presidential form of government and strengthens checks and balances through broader parliamentary consent in key appointments.

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Constitutional status

The President is the head of state and the central institution of the constitutional system. The President is not simply a political leader but the constitutional guarantor of state continuity, legality, and the coordinated functioning of public authorities.

The President:

represents the Republic of Kazakhstan
ensures observance of the Constitution
protects the rights and freedoms of citizens
acts as an arbiter within the system of state power

Term and mandate

Under the new constitutional model, the President serves:

for a single 7-year term
without the right to immediate re-election
as a politically neutral figure above party competition

This preserves the core presidential model while limiting long-term concentration of personal power.

Key powers

In legislation:

signs and promulgates laws
has veto power and may return a law to the Kurultai for reconsideration
initiates laws and constitutional amendments
calls referendums in constitutionally established cases

In executive power:

appoints the Prime Minister with the consent of the Kurultai
appoints the Vice President with the consent of the Kurultai
determines the structure and approves the composition of the Government

In judicial and law-enforcement institutions:

appoints the Chair and judges of the Constitutional Court
appoints the Prosecutor General with the consent of the Kurultai
appoints the Chair of the National Bank with the consent of the Kurultai

In defense and security:

serves as Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
introduces a state of emergency
submits proposals on war and the use of the Armed Forces where constitutional approval is required

What changes in 2026

The 2026 Constitution does not abolish presidential government. Instead, it recalibrates it.

The main change is not the disappearance of the presidency, but the strengthening of institutional filters:

more appointments require the consent of the Kurultai
parliamentary oversight becomes more meaningful
continuity is supported by the introduction of the Vice President

Why this matters

A strong presidency remains part of the constitutional design, but it operates within a more visible framework of consent, accountability, and institutional balance.