Kazakh president proposes creation of unicameral parliament

In his annual address to the nation at the parliament in the capital Astana, Tokayev shared his thoughts on parliamentary reform, which he said will have a “serious positive impact” on the course of the country’s socio-economic development.

Tokayev described the Senate, the upper house of parliament established in 1995, as having been created under “rather difficult, unstable political conditions,” but served effectively in its mission of “ensuring the stability of state building.”

The president said he had the opportunity to head the Senate for 10 years, but “despite this, I will nevertheless make a proposal today to create a unicameral parliament in our country in the foreseeable future.”

Tokayev warned that the reform concerned is “very serious issue” and requires thorough discussion in the civil sector, the expert community, and within the current parliament itself.

“I believe that the discussion, given the extraordinary nature of the reform, will take at least a year, after which a national referendum could be held in 2027, and then the necessary changes could be made to the Constitution,” he added.

He said that if they reach a common decision on the need to create a unicameral parliament, then, in his opinion, such a parliament should be elected exclusively through party lists.

Kazakhstan's parliament is comprised of two chambers, namely the Senate and Majilis, the lower house.

Current legislation was preceded by the Supreme Council, a unicameral body formed in 1993, before it was dissolved in 1995.

Nuclear power plant

Tokayev also touched on the topic of energy, saying Kazakhstan has begun large-scale modernization of energy sources, and that energy transition is a tool for Astana for sustainable development.

"In this regard, the course towards the development of nuclear energy is fundamental," Tokayev said, noting that his country began implementing the project surrounding its first nuclear power plant last month.

The Kazakh president expressed that the project is being implemented in the country's southeastern Almaty region in cooperation with Russia’s State Atomiс Energy Corporation (Rosatom). The corporation was chosen by Kazakhstan in June to lead an international consortium for the plant's construction.

He said, however, that the project is not enough for stable economic growth.

"We should start planning the construction of a second and even third nuclear power plant right now," Tokayev added.

He said that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping reached a deal at a recent meeting on a strategic partnership between the two countries in the nuclear industry.

"Kazakhstan is ready to cooperate with all global companies on a mutually beneficial basis, which is in line with the goal of ensuring our energy sovereignty," he added.

A national referendum in October 2024 agreed on the construction of Kazakhstan's first nuclear power plant, with around 71% voting in favor.

Tokayev, who first proposed the referendum in 2023, defined the referendum as a critical decision for Kazakhstan's future, though critics have voiced concern over the plant's construction stemming partly from the legacy of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site in the country's northeast.

The site was used for over 450 tests in the Soviet era before it was closed in 1991.

Rosatom said in August that Kazakhstan and Russia began work on building the first nuclear power plant, with engineering surveys having started in the village of Ulken.