15.03.2026, 13:40 1491

Kazakhstan to hold next presidential election in 2029

The next presidential election will be held in Kazakhstan in 2029, in line with the current Constitution. This is what President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at a briefing for mass media after casting his vote in the referendum, Qazinform News Agency reports.

I am aware that there are various discussions surrounding the position of the Vice President. Indeed, such a role exists in a number of foreign countries. Some experts believe that this may signal growing competition within the government in Kazakhstan and emerging trends that may cause concern. However, there is absolutely no reason to worry that this will have a negative impact on society," said Tokayev.


In his opinion, the introduction of the Vice President’s position will contribute to strengthening the state power institutions.

As President, I place great hopes on this position, as I do on all reforms in general. The next presidential elections will be held, as expected, within the timeframe established by the current Constitution - in 2029," added the Head of State.

 

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15.03.2026, 19:55 626

Kazakh nationals in 14 countries complete voting in Constitutional Referendum

Kazakh nationals in 14 countries complete voting in Constitutional Referendum
Images | MFA
By 7:00 PM Astana time, 9,050 citizens of Kazakhstan had cast their ballots abroad, announced Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Issetov, Qazinform News Agency reports.

Voting at the polling stations overseas began at 03:00 AM Astana time.

Due to time zone differences, all polling stations abroad opened by 7:00 PM, and 14 of them have already closed. At the moment, 9,050 people have voted," he informed.


By midnight Astana time, 64 polling stations abroad will conclude their operations.

The polling station in San Francisco, U.S., will be the last to complete the overseas voting process on March 16 at 08:00 AM Astana time," the Deputy Minister noted.


For citizens staying abroad, there are 71 polling stations at Kazakhstan's diplomatic missions in 54 countries.

Altogether, 10,388 polling stations opened on the day of the referendum.
 

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15.03.2026, 17:00 886

Preliminary turnout for Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Referendum reaches 64.43%

Preliminary turnout for Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Referendum reaches 64.43%
Images | election.gov.kz
With less than four hours of voting remaining, over 8 million Kazakhstanis have already cast their ballots at the Constitutional Referendum as of 4:00 PM, Qazinform News Agency reports.

Assel Zhanabilova, a member of the Central Referendum Commission, presented the latest data from territorial commissions regarding the preliminary turnout. According to the report, 8,029,286 Kazakhstanis have received their ballots so far, representing 64.43% of the total eligible voters.

Polling stations in Washington, D.C., New York City, and Ottawa have also opened for the referendum.

The highest turnout was seen in the Turkistan and Aktobe regions, as well as the city of Shymkent.

Regional turnout breakdown:

  • Abai region - 69.29%
  • Akmola region - 71.33%
  • Aktobe region - 77.65%
  • Almaty region - 68.23%
  • Atyrau region - 64.33%
  • West Kazakhstan region - 60.61%
  • Zhambyl region - 70.31%
  • Zhetysu region - 68.50%
  • Karaganda region - 72.63%
  • Kostanay region - 70.96%
  • Kyzylorda region - 82.02%
  • Mangystau region - 68.19%
  • Pavlodar region - 68.41%
  • North Kazakhstan region - 60.70%
  • Turkistan region - 72.39%
  • Ulytau region - 66.50%
  • East Kazakhstan region - 78.98%
  • Astana - 47.76%
  • Almaty - 28.16%
  • Shymkent - 72.61%
 

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15.03.2026, 15:00 2446

2026 Referendum: More than 50% of voters cast ballots  

Preliminary voter turnout in the referendum on the adoption of the draft of new Constitution has exceeded 50%, Qazinform News Agency reports.

As of 14:00 Astana time, 6,471,378 citizens had received their ballot papers, representing 51.93% of those included in the voter list, Secretary of the Central Referendum Commission Shavkhat Utemisov said.

Voter turnout by regions as of 14:00 Astana time:

  • Abai region - 61,04%
  • Akmola region - 60,05%
  • Aktobe region - 61,37%
  • Almaty region - 56,13%
  • Atyrau region - 56,54%
  • West Kazakhstan region - 49,97%
  • Zhambyl region - 51,13%
  • Zhetysu region - 59,82%
  • Karaganda region - 57,32%
  • Kostanay region - 56,51%
  • Kyzylorda region - 64,63%
  • Mangystau region - 53,14%
  • Pavlodar region - 53,31%
  • North Kazakhstan region - 52,37%
  • Turkistan region - 58,03%
  • Ulytau region - 52,06%
  • East Kazakhstan region - 59,60%
  • Astana region - 40,68%
  • Almaty - 21,68%
  • Shymkent - 58,24%
 

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15.03.2026, 12:00 2051

Tokayev casts his vote in Constitutional Referendum

Tokayev casts his vote in Constitutional Referendum
Images | Akorda
Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev took part in voting at the nationwide referendum on the draft of the new Constitution at polling station No. 51, located in the Palace of Schoolchildren, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing the Akorda press service.

The Constitution is truly a historic document that guarantees the rights and freedoms of our citizens, and therefore holds exceptional importance. The new Constitution affirms the territorial integrity, Independence, and Sovereignty of our nation. The Constitution adopted in 1995 has fulfilled its role. Our country has lived under that document for 35 years, but time does not stand still. The moment has come to adopt a new Fundamental Law. I also actively participated in its drafting, personally proposing the wording of the preamble and several other provisions. I am confident that the new Fundamental Law will serve the interests of the country and its future," he stated.

 

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15.03.2026, 10:00 2371

Kazakh Foreign Ministry says polls already opened in over 40 countries

Kazakh Foreign Ministry says polls already opened in over 40 countries
Images | MFA
Polling stations for voting in Kazakhstan’s constitutional referendum are currently operating in more than 40 countries worldwide, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry said, Qazinform News Agency reports.

After Japan and South Korea, polling stations opened in China, Singapore, Mongolia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

The voting process is also actively taking place in Russia, India, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, said the ministry.


It added polling stations are expected to open soon across Europe.

Earlier, Qazinform reported Kazakhstan closes polling stations in 10 countries amid Middle East tensions.

To note, on March 15, a nationwide referendum on the draft of a new Constitution began in Kazakhstan. The first polling stations in the referendum on amendments to the Constitution of Kazakhstan were opened in Seoul and Tokyo, as well as in Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an, and Hong Kong.
 

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14.03.2026, 14:40 17656

Kazakhstan evacuates over 10,000 citizens from Middle East

Kazakhstan evacuates over 10,000 citizens from Middle East
Images | MFA
A total of 10,275 citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan have been returned to the country, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing the Kazakh Foreign Ministry.

Kazakh citizens were evacuated through multiple routes, including both land and air transport.

Kazakhstan’s diplomatic missions in the region coordinated with host-country authorities, remained in constant contact with compatriots and provided the necessary assistance to citizens.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan expressed gratitude to state bodies and international partners for their support in ensuring the safe return of Kazakh citizens to their homeland.
 

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13.03.2026, 21:01 33396

Digital Qazaqstan strategy set to serve interests of all people - President Tokayev

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Friday held a working meeting focusing on the Digital Qazaqstan project at his official residence Akorda, Qazinform News Agency reports.

Speaking at the meeting, President Tokayev said extensive work is yet to be done under the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence he declared early this year. He said that widespread adoption of advanced technologies and AI across all areas of the country’s life is the key objective.

First of all, it is necessary to create a favorable institutional, legal, and business environment. Kazakhstan was among the first countries in the world to introduce flexible and modern digital regulation. The Digital Code has been adopted, and the Law on Artificial Intelligence has come into force. However, this is only the beginning of a large-scale journey, and we must not stop here. The world has entered an era of dynamic technological change. You are well aware of this. Science, education, and technology are developing at a rapid pace, which means the regulatory framework also requires prompt updates. In short, we must formulate a unified definition of a digital state that is clear to every citizen. The Digital Qazaqstan strategy must be based on the real needs of citizens and businesses, said the Kazakh president.


Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also stated that there are a number of pressing issues that require prompt solutions.

It is important to ensure the accelerated digitalization of public administration. Currently, more than 90% of public services have been switched to an online format. However, interdepartmental information systems are not integrated into end-to-end processes. Speed and quality must be priorities at all stages, he said.

 

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13.03.2026, 14:18 33556

New deputy governor appointed at National Bank of Kazakhstan

New deputy governor appointed at National Bank of Kazakhstan
Images | instagram.com/b.zhalenov
By a presidential order, Binur Zhalenov has been appointed Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Kazakhstan, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing Akorda.

Binur Zhalenov was born on January 19, 1993. His academic background includes:

  • L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University (2010-2014): Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering and Software.
  • New York University (2019-2021): Master of Science in Information Systems / Master of Business Administration (MBA).
  • University of Cambridge, Judge Business School (2022): Cambridge FinTech and Regulatory Innovation program at the Centre for Alternative Finance.
  • He is a recipient of the Bolashak International Scholarship.

Professional experience

  • IT Consultant, Center for Electronic Commerce LLP, Ministry of Finance (September 2013 - October 2015).
  • Manager / Development Director / Deputy General Director, Isker Akparat LLP (November 2015 - December 2018).
  • Research Assistant, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University (March 2019 - December 2020).
  • Technology Strategy Consultant, IBM iX, New York (February 2020 - December 2020).
  • Advisor to the Governor, National Bank of Kazakhstan (Remote) (June 2019 - January 2021).
  • Chairman of the Management Board, Center for Development of Payment and Financial Technologies of the National Bank (February 2021 - February 2023).
  • CEO, Kazakhstan Interbank Settlement Center of the National Bank (February 2023 - August 2023).
  • Chairman of the Board, National Payment Corporation of the National Bank (August 2023 - September 2024).
  • Chief Digital Transformation Officer / Advisor to the Governor, National Bank (since September 2024).
 

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