President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev approved a new Constitution, signing the corresponding decree at a formal ceremony at his residence in Astana, Orda.kz reported on March 17.
The basic law, endorsed in a referendum, will come into force on July 1, simultaneously rendering the 1995 Constitution void.
According to the Central Election Commission, 87% of participants backed the document in the March 15 vote, with turnout exceeding 73%.
The Constitution’s text was drafted in just 22 days and provides for a sweeping overhaul of the state structure, including a strengthening of the presidential vertical of power.
The document also enshrines the primacy of national law over international law, introduces a ban on foreign funding for political parties, defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman, and sets rules for the use of the Russian language in state institutions.