Official status of Russian language enshrined in draft of new Constitution of Kazakhstan

The status of the Russian language, along with Kazakh, has been retained for official use in government organizations of Kazakhstan, TASS reports. The final version of the draft of the new Constitution of Kazakhstan has been published for public review in the official newspaper "Kazakhstanskaya Pravda."

The document states that Kazakh is the state language of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Russian is officially used alongside Kazakh in government organizations and local government bodies.

According to the document, the Constitution adopted by the national referendum will come into force on July 1, 2026. On the same day, the previous Constitution of August 30, 1995, will cease to be valid. The day of the referendum will be declared a public holiday – Constitution Day of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

If the new Constitution is approved, the current parliament will cease to exist on July 1, 2026. This is clearly stated in the text: "The Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, formed in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan of August 30, 1995, shall cease to exist on July 1, 2026."

The referendum will take place on March 15. Citizens will be asked a single question: "Do you accept the new Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the draft of which was published in the media on February 12, 2026?"