Referendum on constitutional amendmentsNUR-SULTAN, 5 Jun. Turnout at the referendum on amendments to the constitution of Kazakhstan as of 12:00 (09:00 Moscow time) was 43.70%, said Shavkat Utemisov, a member of the Republic's Central Election Commission. , strengthening other branches of government and increasing the role of citizens in the process of government. The Central Election Commission reported that 11,722,536 people are eligible to vote in the referendum.The referendum is just the beginning of a lot of work, Tokayev said. «According to the data submitted to the central commission of the referendum from the territorial commissions of regions, cities of republican significance, the capital, as of 12.00 o'clock in the capital, 43.70% of the total number of citizens received ballot papers, included in the lists,» Utemisov said at a briefing at the CEC. He explained that 41.31% of voters received ballots in Akmola region, 41.14% in Aktobe region, 43.05% in Almaty region, 37.33% in Atyrau region, and 37.33% in Zapadno -Kazakhstan — 47.58%, Zhambyl — 55.15%, Karaganda — 51.60%, Kostanay region — 49.96%, Kyzylorda — 48.73%, Mangystau — 36.02%, Pavlodar — 51.17% , North Kazakhstan — 58.25%, Turkestan — 46.69%, East Kazakhstan — 48.86%. In Nur-Sultan, 37.03% of citizens gave ballots, in Almaty — 20.14% and Shymkent — 44.61%. According to him, in just five hours from the start of voting, more than 5.1 million Kazakhstanis took part in the referendum (5,122,577 people). The President of Kazakhstan previously stated that the coup attempt in January 2022 confirmed the need for an early political modernization of the country, in connection with which amendments to the basic law were put to a referendum.
Nazarbayev and Tokayev voted in a referendum in KazakhstanThe amendments are intended to consolidate the final transition from a «super-presidential» form of government to a presidential republic with an influential parliament and an accountable government. To this end, the amendments reduce the excessive concentration of presidential powers. In particular, the participation of the head of state in the formation of the upper house of parliament is reduced, his influence on local representative and executive bodies is limited. In addition, a ban is established on the head of state's membership in political parties for the period of the presidency. Similar requirements will apply to chairmen and members of the CEC, the counting committee, heads of regions and their deputies. The amendments also prohibit close relatives of the head of state from occupying senior positions in state and quasi-state structures. A number of amendments are aimed at respecting the rights and freedoms of citizens, including the creation of a constitutional court, the consolidation of the status of an ombudsman at the constitutional level and an unconditional ban on the death penalty. In addition, the updated constitution will exclude mention of the status, powers and privileges of the country's first president.
