ASTANA – Constitutional rule on a single presidential tenure remains unchanged, said Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in his interview with the Egemen Qazaqstan newspaper released on Jan. 3, dismissing speculations on his presidential election bid in 2026.
Photo credit: gov.kz
“This norm is as inviolable as the rules on independence, unitarity, territorial integrity and the form of rule of the state,” Tokayev said.
The President delved into the details, mentioning events 15 years ago.
“I expressed the idea of a single seven-year term in closed discussions 15 years ago. Back then, the proposal was not supported. After being elected President, I weighed all the pros and cons and thought a lot about how this idea could be implemented,” he said.
In 2022, several important constitutional changes were implemented aimed at eliminating super-presidential powers. Then, Tokayev proposed the idea of a single seven-year term, which was supported by the nation.
