A Kazakhstani court reset Tokayev's presidential terms following the adoption of the new Constitution
The Constitutional Court of Kazakhstan ruled that Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s presidential terms are reset to zero following the entry into force of the country’s new Constitution.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev became president of Kazakhstan in 2019, succeeding the country’s first president, Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Under the previous version of the Constitution, Tokayev’s term was limited to a single presidential term, which was set to end in 2029.
However, after the new Constitution took effect, the Constitutional Court ruled that the restrictions established by the previous Constitution no longer apply.
“Persons who, in accordance with the 1995 Constitution, hold the positions specified in these constitutional provisions may be elected or appointed to the corresponding positions after the 2026 Constitution enters into force,” states the decision of the Constitutional Court of Kazakhstan.
Thus, the new Constitution effectively opens the door for Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to run for president again, as his previous presidential term will not be counted under the new constitutional framework.
The decision was announced after the new version of the Constitution officially entered into force in Kazakhstan on July 1, 2026.
This was reported by .
Kazakhstan is the largest post-Soviet republic after Russia. Kazakhstan is about five times larger than Ukraine, and its territory is home to more than 20 million people. It is a very important and influential player in Asia—and virtually unknown to the average Ukrainian. If you follow Ukrainian news, you might get the impression that Kazakhstan simply doesn’t exist, because no one writes about it. By comparison, there is quite a lot of coverage in that country about Ukraine and the war with Russia.
