Head of State: 'There will be no presidential quota' in new Parliament

“The initiative to create a unicameral Parliament was put forward in my Address. One can say this is a logical continuation of earlier political transformations,” said the Head of State.

President Tokayev said that this step strengthens the principle of “A Strong President – An Influential Parliament – An Accountable Government”, while maintaining the presidential form of governance. He noted that the initiative is widely discussed in society, with many suggestions emerging for the future Parliament's structure.

"For instance, some ideas suggest linking the proportional representation of MPs to population size. Under such a model, the number could reach 200 people, compared to the current 148 serving in the two chambers," said Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

However, the Head of State noted that the parliamentary reform is not just about mechanically merging the two chambers. He stressed that excessively increasing the number of MPs would be impractical:

“On the contrary, it is necessary to optimize and streamline the work of the Parliament. In the new unicameral Parliament, there will be no presidential quota — all MPs must be elected through a unified process. This is a crucial step within the upcoming parliamentary reform. These measures must be thoroughly clarified for the public,” the President said.

He highlighted that the legislative body should be composed of genuinely qualified and experienced professionals.

“Our goal is to establish a professional Parliament. We should also consider creating new committees. I believe the committees on digitalization and regional development should operate as separate entities. A special working group will carefully study all these issues. Numerous other proposals will be examined in detail and published later. I also have several suggestions on this important matter. Overall, the number of amendments to the Fundamental Law may be significant. Therefore, it would not be wrong to say that people will vote for essentially a new Constitution in the referendum,” Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated.

The President also underscored the vital importance of preserving peace and stability in the country during this challenging period.

“Our joint efforts must focus on implementing the concept of ‘Law and Order.’ Law enforcement agencies must demonstrate professionalism and prevent provocations or attempts to engage in ‘shadow’ political activity,” Tokayev said.

As Qazinform previously reported, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said villages and rural districts are vital to delivering the Digital Kazakhstan program.