President Tokayev's presidential term has been "reset," formally granting him the right to run for president again

Thanks to the new Constitution, which officially came into effect on July 1, 2026, incumbent Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has formally gained the right to run for president once more. In a previous nationwide referendum, this constitutional draft received support from 87.15% of citizens.

Tokayev personally submitted a request to the Constitutional Court, which subsequently issued an interpretation: his prior presidency is no longer counted toward any term limits. The judges ruled that any term restrictions under the new Constitution would only begin counting from the date the law takes effect: “The fact that someone held one of these offices during the validity of the 1995 Constitution does not, in itself, constitute an obstacle to their election or appointment to that office after the entry into force of the new Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan.”

In simple terms, after July 1, any individual running for president in Kazakhstan will legally be considered a “first-time” candidate. Looking back to 2022, Kazakhstan had previously stipulated that the president could serve only one seven-year term and could not seek re-election. Under those rules, Tokayev’s current term would have ended completely by 2029.

Tokayev, who has been in office since 2019 (initially succeeding the resigned Nursultan Nazarbayev, then winning re-election in the 2019 and 2022 elections), repeatedly publicly stated he would not seek re-election and would step down in 2029.

The political logic behind Kazakhstan’s move is highly intriguing:

1. A “institutional design” for smooth power transition: The new Constitution not only “resets” Tokayev’s term but also reinstates the position of Vice President. This is widely interpreted as a mechanism allowing Tokayev to select and groom his successor before his actual departure from power.

2. Breaking the old cycle of “strongman politics”: By enacting the new Constitution, Tokayev has effectively erased the political legacy of the former President Nazarbayev era, establishing a new model of “a strong presidency – an influential parliament – a responsible government.”

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1870067543638016/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.