‘New Kazakhstan’ backs sweeping reforms to end strongman Nazarbayev’s era
- Voters in Kazakhstan support constitutional amendments proposed by president in a referendum
- Outcome should strip founding leader Nursultan Nazarbayev of his powers and special privileges
Kazakhs overwhelmingly voted for sweeping constitutional changes in a referendum that marks the end of founding leader Nursultan Nazarbayev’s three-decade grip on Central Asia’s richest country, authorities announced on Monday.
The amendments are aimed at decentralisation, ending “super-presidential” rule and stripping the 81-year-old Nazarbayev of his national leader status and special privileges, and preventing future nepotism by barring the president’s relatives from holding government positions.
“The referendum can be considered validated,” national electoral commission chair Nurlan Abdirov said, claiming that 77 per cent of voters had backed the move.
He reported a turnout of over 68 per cent in Sunday’s referendum.
Widespread violence in January - which grew out of peaceful protests over a spike in car fuel prices - left more than 230 people dead and prompted authorities to call in troops from a Russia-led security bloc.
The drive for a “New Kazakhstan” in the wake of the violence has come from the man that Nazarbayev hand-picked to replace him as president in 2019, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.