ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s proposed new Constitution would make a political transition starting July 1, including the end of the current Parliament’s mandate, if voters endorse the reforms in a national referendum on March 15.
Photo credit: Akorda.
Under the draft, the day the new Constitution is adopted would be declared a state holiday. The document also stipulates that the current Parliament will continue to function until July 1, in the event of approval.
The draft also specifies that within one month of the new Constitution’s entry into force, the Kazakh President must announce elections to the National Kurultai, the proposed new representative body, which must be held within two months.
The text of the draft Constitution, which consists of 96 articles, was published on Feb. 12 in the Kazakhstanskaya Pravda newspaper, making it available for public review leading up to the referendum.
On Feb. 11, members of the constitutional commission presented the results of their work on the draft Constitution to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Later that day, Tokayev signed a decree calling for a referendum on constitutional reform.
