Voting in Kazakhstan’s constitutional referendum concluded on Sunday. Deputy Chairman of the Central Referendum Commission (CRC) Mukhtar Yerman announced the end of polling, with ballot-counting underway at precinct commissions across the country.
According to Yerman, by 6:00 p.m. Moscow time, a total of 9,126,850 citizens had received ballots nationwide, representing 73.24% of registered voters. Exit polls released after the referendum suggested overwhelming support for the proposed changes, with one survey showing 86.7% of participating voters in favour and another reporting 87.4% support.
The referendum put forward numerous proposed amendments to Kazakhstan’s basic law, including the establishment of a vice-presidential post, the transition from a bicameral parliament to a unicameral one, the entrenchment of the primacy of national law over international law, and the creation of the People’s Council — a supreme consultative body with the right to initiate legislation. Analysts note that the constitutional changes could provide President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev with a mechanism to extend his rule beyond his current term, which expires in 2029.
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