Kazakhstan's new Constitution allows President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to run for head of state again, according to a ruling issued by the republic's Constitutional Court.
Under the ruling, time served in government posts under the previous 1995 Constitution will not count when the new Constitution is applied. The court explained that term-limit restrictions apply only to elections and appointments made after the 2026 Constitution took effect.
Officials who held government positions under the former Basic Law will be eligible to be re-elected or reappointed following the constitutional reform — and any such vote or appointment will be treated as their first.
As a result, Tokayev will be able to run for president again, even though the constitutional reform he himself initiated introduced a limit of a single seven-year presidential term.
Tokayev's current term began on November 20, 2022, and is due to expire in November 2029.
Kazakhstan's new Basic Law was approved in a March referendum and took effect on July 1 of this year. It establishes a new system of state governance, including a shift to a unicameral parliament.
