New public holiday may appear in Kazakhstan: date announced in the Senate

Tengrinews.kz – Senate Speaker Maulen Ashimbayev has said that the upcoming referendum date, 15 March, may become the new Constitution Day in Kazakhstan. He stated this today while speaking to journalists in the corridors of the Upper House of Parliament.
According to Ashimbayev, under the transitional provisions, the new holiday date will be the day the Constitution is adopted.

“As far as I remember, it refers to the day of adoption. The day of adoption and the day of entry into force are different things. Therefore, if we look at the draft transitional provision, it is about the day the Constitution is adopted. The day of adoption is 15 March,” he replied to questions from journalists.

The Senate Speaker stressed that the final decision will depend on the results of the referendum.

“People have the right to vote as they consider right for themselves, as they see it; no one is restricting them. That is why the referendum is being called – to find out the opinion of our citizens. Whatever our citizens decide, the corresponding decision will be taken. If they support it, we will have a new Constitution and Constitution Day will be 15 March,” Maulen Ashimbayev added.

It was previously reported that 1 July might become Kazakhstan’s Constitution Day. This is stated in the draft of the new Basic Law that is planned to be put to a nationwide referendum.
According to the document, if adopted at the referendum, the new Constitution will enter into force on 1 July 2026.

“In the event of approval at the referendum, the day of adoption of the new Constitution will become a public holiday,” the draft text says.

Date of the referendum
On 11 February, members of the Constitutional Commission presented President Tokayev with the results of their work on the draft of the new Constitution.
Later, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree on holding a referendum on constitutional reform.
According to the text of the decree, the referendum on constitutional reform in Kazakhstan will be held on 15 March. This is a Sunday.
A referendum is a form of direct expression of will by citizens (nationwide vote) on the most important issues of state, regional or local significance. Through a referendum, laws are adopted, amendments are made to the Constitution, or key political issues are decided. Decisions adopted at a referendum usually have binding force.
Constitutional reform in Kazakhstan
The Commission on Constitutional Reform (the Constitutional Commission) was established by Presidential decree on 21 January 2026. Its task is to develop proposals for carrying out constitutional reform.
Earlier, the President explained that initially, within the framework of parliamentary reform, it was planned to amend about 40 articles of the Constitution. But in the course of the work it turned out that many more amendments would be needed.
On 29 January, during the fifth meeting of the Constitutional Commission, the Chairman of the Republican Bar Association, Madi Myrzagaraev, proposed considering the issue of adopting a new Constitution of Kazakhstan. His proposal was supported by other members of the Commission.
On 30 January, at the Volunteers Forum in Astana, the Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev spoke about the new Constitution. The President stressed that any changes to the Constitution must be introduced through a referendum.
Read also: Draft of Kazakhstan’s new Constitution published ahead of referendum