Kazakh parliament building. File photoASTANA, Sep 22 Deputies of the senate (upper house) of Kazakhstan's parliament at a plenary session on Thursday approved legislative amendments excluding First President's Day as a public holiday, according to a broadcast on the chamber's website. The norm on the exclusion of the First President's Day — December 1 from the number of state holidays was previously introduced by the deputies of the Majilis (lower house) of the parliament when discussing the bill on cinematography, culture and holidays. The parliamentarians proposed to define the celebration of this day by analogy with such dates as the Day of State Symbols, the Day of Gratitude, which have a socially significant status. The days on which public holidays are celebrated in the republic are recognized as holidays in accordance with labor legislation and are non-working. The Day of the First President has been celebrated in Kazakhstan since 2012. It was established to celebrate and recognize the services of the first President Nursultan Nazarbayev to the republic. During his presidency, on December 1, solemn meetings, sports tournaments and cultural events dedicated to his celebration were held in all regions of the country. Nazarbayev led Kazakhstan for almost 30 years and resigned as head of state on March 20, 2019. The former speaker of the Senate, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, became the new president. The adopted amendments are sent to the president for signature.
