The Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, in his Address on March 16, 2022, outlined the main directions of political reforms. During the meeting of the Government chaired by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Alikhan Smailov, Minister of Justice Kanat Mussin reported on regulatory measures in the framework of the implementation of these reforms.

As the minister noted, today a draft national plan for the implementation of the Address has been developed, which involves the following normative measures.

First. Amendments to the Constitution on the following issues:

• powers of the President;
• restrictions related to his tenure;
• withdrawal from political parties of chairmen and members of the Central Election Commission, the Accounts Committee, the Constitutional Council;
• procedure for the formation and functions of the Senate and the Mazhilis of the Parliament;
• transformation of the Accounts Committee for Control over the Execution of the Republican Budget into the Supreme Audit Chamber;
• procedure for the formation of maslikhats;
• creation of the Constitutional Court with the provision of the possibility of applying to it also by citizens, the Prosecutor General and the Commissioner for Human Rights;
• enshrining in the Constitution the decision to abolish the death penalty.

“The development of a draft law for this block is expected in April 2022,” Mussin reported.

Second. Amendments to constitutional laws and laws on the following issues:

• prohibition of akims and their deputies to hold positions in the branches of parties;
• procedure for the formation and functions of the Senate and the Majilis of the Parliament;
• agreeing on candidates for the positions of chairmen of the Constitutional Council and the Supreme Judicial Council;
• formation of the Supreme Audit Chamber;
• order of formation and functions of maslikhats;
• simplifying the registration procedure for political parties;
• on activities of the prosecutor's office and the commissioner for human rights;
• improvement of the electoral process;
• expanding the categories of cases involving jury trials;
• revision of the law on mass media;
• on local government.

According to the minister, the drafting of a constitutional law and a law on this block is expected in August 2022.

Third. Adoption of decrees of the President and resolutions of the Government related to the following issues:

• formation of the Abay, Ulytau regions, division of the Almaty region into Zhetysu and Almaty regions;
• restrictions on the number of deputy akims of regions and cities of republican significance.

“The development of draft decrees of the President and resolutions of the Government on this block is expected in June 2022. The Ministry of Justice is carrying out the necessary preparatory work to develop draft laws,” Mussin reported.