At a meeting of the newly established Constitutional Commission, Kazakh MP Elnur Beisenbayev proposed introducing a clear definition of marriage into the country’s forthcoming constitutional revisions. He argued that such a measure is necessary to protect national traditions and the moral values of society.
Beisenbayev said that discussions about family and marriage go beyond everyday social issues and directly affect the country’s future. While the current Constitution guarantees the protection of the family, motherhood, and childhood, he noted that it does not explicitly define marriage itself.
«Many countries’ constitutions clearly define family and marriage as a union between a man and a woman. What matters most is the responsibility to preserve the family and raise happy children. Even in the most diverse societies, the family is regarded as the foundation of society, not a secondary issue,» he said. «Therefore, we propose stipulating in the Constitution that marriage is possible only between a man and a woman, as the basis for having children and securing the country’s future.»
The lawmaker emphasized that, amid global change and what he described as the «erosion of fundamental concepts,» Kazakhstan should demonstrate what he called a form of healthy conservatism.
«We have the right to enshrine in our Constitution the family model that has supported our development as a nation-state for centuries,» Beisenbayev said. «The foundation of any country is the individual, and non-traditional practices run counter to human nature. In this sense, we must be conservatives in the best meaning of the word — defenders of tradition, human nature, and historical legacy.»
At the same time, Beisenbayev stressed the importance of reinforcing the principles of voluntary and equal marriage as a means of protecting women’s rights. According to the MP, «law and order» should begin not in the courtroom, but at the doorstep of every home.
