Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has introduced amendments to the country's Foreign Policy Concept until 2030, removing references related to former President Nursultan Nazarbayev. This was reported by inbusiness.kz, citing PRG.Zanger.
In the previous version, among the principles of foreign policy was the 'continuity of the foreign policy course of the First President — Elbasy N.A. Nazarbayev.' Now this phrase has been replaced with 'continuity of the foreign policy course at a new stage of the country's development.' This change signifies a gradual departure from Nazarbayev's legacy in foreign policy.
Additionally, the document no longer includes Nazarbayev's lifelong right to address the people, state bodies, and officials with initiatives on the most important foreign policy issues. Previously, this right was linked to his 'historical mission' and the law 'On the First President — Elbasy.' These privileges have now been abolished.
Furthermore, in the updated concept, the term 'citizen' has been replaced with 'citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan,' and the words 'Independence' and 'Sovereignty' are now capitalized. The document also changes the name of the parliament to 'Qurultai.' This aligns with the new system of state structure, under which the country now has a unicameral parliament instead of the previous bicameral one.
On July 1, Kazakhstan's new Constitution came into force. The amendments were approved in a referendum in March, with 87.15% of voters supporting them. According to the Central Election Commission, voter turnout was 73.12%. One of the key changes was the transition from a bicameral parliament to a unicameral Qurultai. It consists of 145 deputies elected by party lists. Parliamentary elections are scheduled for August 2026. Additionally, the position of vice president has been reinstated, replacing the state adviser role.
Nursultan Nazarbayev is the first president of the republic, having led the country from 1991 to 2019. In January 2022, mass protests in the country led to the resignation of the government and Nazarbayev's departure from politics. He stepped down as head of the Security Council and stopped leading the ruling party 'Amanat' (from 2006 to 2022 called 'Nur Otan' — 'Radiant Fatherland'). Soon after, his close associates began to be arrested, and members of Nazarbayev's family left state positions.
In February 2023, Tokayev signed a decree recognizing the law 'On the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan — Elbasy' as no longer in force. This law had declared Nazarbayev the leader of the nation (Elbasy) and provided him with lifelong privileges and guarantees, of which he is now deprived. Nazarbayev received the Elbasy status in 2010. Under the law, the authorities were obliged to coordinate the main directions of domestic and foreign policy with him.
Source: www.gazeta.uz