ASTANA, February 3. /TASS/. The territorial integrity of Kazakhstan is not up for discussion, according to a newly drafted constitution, said state advisor Yerlan Karin at a regular meeting of the constitutional commission.
"The territorial integrity of our country will never be violated and will never change. This should be repeated, because some citizens express the opinion that the administrative and territorial integrity of the country may change, which in fact is false information and pure manipulation. You yourself know that the new constitution sets out strong obstacles for such actions now and in the future," he said.
According to the politician, the new preamble stipulates that the borders of the state and its territorial integrity are inviolable, and the sixth paragraph of the second article separately emphasizes that the territorial integrity of Kazakhstan is not subject to change. He noted that this means that it is impossible to discuss this issue in the future, even in a referendum, adding that all people should be aware of this and not succumb to speculations and arguments on this topic.
On the new constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan
In September last year, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev decided to transform the current bicameral parliament into a unicameral one, ordering that this be enshrined in the constitution. He suggested putting the issue to a referendum, which, according to him, could be held in 2027. This year Tokayev put forward some other changes, including the introduction of the post of vice president and reform of advisory bodies. He also decreed to establish a commission to determine the date of the referendum.
The current constitution was adopted in 1995. Over 30 years, it has undergone major edits. The last referendum on amendments to the basic law was held in 2022.