Powers of the President of Kazakhstan, throughout the modern history of the Republic, were not the same. In his Telegram-channel, famous political observer Daniyar Ashimbayev drew an evolution of the President’s legal status.
Ashimbayev briefly explains the processes, by which the role of the President would strengthen or weaken:
Changes in the Constitutional Status of the President
April 1990 — Head of Republic
November 1990 — Head of Republic and Its Executive and Administrative Powers
January 1993 — Head of State In Charge of Single Executive Power System
August 1995 — Head of State, Supreme Executive Person Defining Main Scopes of Domestic and International Policies of State and Representing Kazakhstan Domestically and in Foreign Affairs, Symbol and Guarantor of Unity of Nation and State Power, Inviolability of Constitution, Human and Citizen Rights and Freedoms
Changes in the Constitutional Status of the First President
July 2000 – adoption of Constitutional Law Concerning the First President, envisaging his right of life-time leadership of the Assembly of the Peoples of Kazakhstan and membership in the Constitutional and Security Councils.
May 2000 – reference to above Law reflected in Constitution.
June 2010 – amendment of legislation with a new norm, by which the First President is the Leader of Nation (Tungysh Presidenty – Yelbasy, First President – Leader of Nation).
March 2017 – renaming of Leader of Nation in Yelbasy, as documented in Constitution.
December 2017 – status of Security Council Chair assigned to Yelbasy.
February 2022 – provisions concerning chairing in the Association of the Peoples of Kazakhstan and Security Council abolished.
June 2022 – provisions of the Constitution concerning the First President and the corresponding Constitutional Law abolished.
January 2023 – Parliament votes for abolishment of the Constitutional Law. Provisions concerning the status of the First President reflected in general provisions concerning ex-Presidents.
