Kazakh Constitutional Council recognizes 7-year presidential term amendment as constitutional

NUR-SULTAN. Sept 14 (Interfax) - The Kazakh Constitutional Council has verified draft constitutional amendments initiated by parliament deputies and has decided that the proposed single seven-year presidential term meets the logic of constitutional innovations, which aim at preventing monopolization of state power.

"The Constitutional Council believes that the proposed single seven-year presidential term meets the logic of constitutional innovations approved at a republican referendum on June 5 of this year and aimed at preventing monopolization of state power," the Constitutional Council said in a statement published by the newspaper Kazakhstanskaya Pravda on Wednesday.

"The proposed edition of Paragraph 5 Article 52 of the Constitution, which envisages a single presidential term, will equally apply to all persons elected as the supreme official," the statement said.

Therefore, the Constitutional Council recognized the bill "On Amending and Augmenting the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan" as constitutional.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev made an address to the people of Kazakhstan on September 1, 2022, proposing that an early presidential election be held this fall. Tokayev is planning to stand in this election. He also proposed that presidency be limited to one seven-year term, without the right to reelection. Tokayev said he would submit the proposal for the parliament's consideration after the presidential election of this fall.

A group of Mazhilis deputies called for expediting the adoption of the amendments. They believe that the amendments should be adopted before the presidential election of this fall or else there may be legal conditions allowing the person to be elected this fall consistent with the current edition of the constitution to run for reelection, this time for a seven-year term.

As the initiative requires constitutional amendments, Tokayev asked the Constitutional Council on September 12 to consider such amendments.

The presidential administration said that the bill, submitted for the Constitutional Council's consideration, prohibited the provision of a single seven-year presidential term from being altered in the future. The single term provision will apply to persons elected president of Kazakhstan in elections held after the constitutional amendment takes effect.