SEOUL, July 06 (AJP) - President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev congratulated Kazakhstanis on Capital City Day on Monday, using the holiday message to spotlight the country's new constitution, which entered into force on July 1 and marks the most sweeping overhaul of Kazakhstan's political system since independence.
The new charter, which Tokayev calls the People's Constitution, was approved by 87.15 percent of voters in a national referendum on March 15, with turnout of about 73 percent, according to Kazakhstan's Central Referendum Commission. It replaces the 1995 constitution, abolishes the two-chamber parliament in favor of a single 145-seat legislature called the Kurultai, and restores the office of vice president.
In his message, carried by the Kazakh state news agency Qazinform, Tokayev tied the constitutional milestone directly to the capital's holiday, calling Astana a symbol of the country's independence and the place where the decisions shaping the nation's destiny are made.
"Astana has become a driving force behind major historical developments," Tokayev said. "Our capital has earned the status of a smart city, where advanced governance systems have been introduced."
It was symbolic, the president said, that the People's Constitution entered into force on the eve of Capital City Day, an event he described as opening a new and historic chapter for the state and modernizing its key institutions of government and society.
Tokayev also pointed to a new Constitutional Law on the Status of the Capital, which he said strengthened Astana's leading role as the country's political, administrative, economic, and cultural center. He noted that new parks, public squares, and children's playgrounds had been built for residents and visitors, and said the city's international standing was growing as it increasingly hosts talks on regional and global issues.
The president said the capital was destined to become a vivid example of a new civic ethic built on responsible citizenship, the values of Law and Order, and the Taza Qazaqstan initiative, a nationwide cleanliness and public culture campaign he launched in 2024. He added that he was assured Astana would continue to prosper and remain at the forefront of building a Just Kazakhstan.
Astana, formerly known as Akmola and briefly renamed Nur-Sultan between 2019 and 2022 after former president Nursultan Nazarbayev, became Kazakhstan's capital in 1997 when the government moved from Almaty. Capital City Day, marked every July 6, has been a national holiday since 2008.
The constitutional transition now moves to its next stage. The outgoing bicameral parliament held its final session on June 30, and elections to the new Kurultai are scheduled for Aug. 23, ahead of a Sept. 1 deadline for the new legislature to convene.
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