Kazakhstan renames its capital to Astana and bars second term for President

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The Parliament of Kazakhstan voted to amend the constitution on 16 September 2022 to revert back the name of the nation’s capital to Astana. It also extended the term of the President and barred a person from becoming President more than once.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

Term of the President :

• The term of the President has been extended to seven years from the present five years.
• Also a person can become the President of Kazakhstan only once. Earlier a person can become the President for a maximum two consecutive times. 

Renaming of the Capital :

• It also passed a constitutional amendment to change the name of the capital to Astana from Nur-Sultan.
• Kazakhstan moved its capital from Almaty to Astana in 1997 after it became an Independent country in 1991. In Soviet times Astana was called Tselinograd.
• Later when Kazakhstan first President Nur Sultan Nazarbayev resigned after being in power for almost thirty years in 2019, his successor the current President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev renamed Astana to Nur-Sultan in honour of the ex-leader.
• However, now again the name has been changed back to Astana. 

Parliament of Kazakhstan :

• The Parliament of Kazakhstan is bicameral. It consists of the upper house senate and a lower house called National Assembly (Mazhilis).

Republic of Kazakhstan :

• Kazakhstan was part of the Soviet Union which gained Independence on 16 December 1991, after the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
• It lies in Central Asia. It is the largest country in central Asia and 9th largest country in the world.
• It has the Baikonur Cosmodrome, which is the world’s first spaceport. The Soviet Union used to launch its space rocket from here.
• The first Indian astronaut Rakesh Sharma was launched into space from here on the Soviet Soyuz T-11 rocket on 3 April 1984.
• Now it has been leased to the Russians.
• Capital: Astana 
• Currency: Tenge
• President:  Kassym-Jomart Tokayev