Kazakhstan will hold a constitutional referendum on March 15, in what President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has described as “a complete reboot” designed to modernize governance and strengthen institutional accountability.
The referendum date was confirmed in an official notice published Wednesday on the presidential website, The Caspian Post reports, citing The Times of Central Asia.
According to the notice, the draft of the proposed new Constitution will be published in the media on Thursday. On March 15, voters will be asked: “Do you accept the new Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the draft of which was published in the mass media on February 12, 2026?”
The Central Election Commission has been tasked with organizing and overseeing the referendum.
Public debate is already underway over the proposed changes. Kazakhstan’s current Constitution, adopted in the mid-1990s, has been amended several times. The latest reform package proposes replacing the existing bicameral parliament with a unicameral legislature and introducing the post of vice president.
President Tokayev has said the amendments aim to redistribute powers within the political system, strengthen checks and balances, and improve the efficiency and stability of state institutions.
Political analysts view the initiative as a move away from a personality-centered governance model toward a more institutionalized system, which they say could make the political framework more resilient, particularly during leadership transitions, and broaden stakeholder participation.
However, critics argue that reforms should advance more quickly, especially in expanding political competition and civic freedoms. Even so, observers suggest that if the current reform course continues, it could lead to deeper and more sustainable changes rooted in stronger institutional structures.
