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Kazakhstan holds a historic referendum on the NPP, marking a new milestone in ‘direct democracy’

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The first of its kind among CIS and Central Asian countries, Kazakhstan conducted a historic referendum, encouraging citizens to directly vote on the construction of a nuclear power plant (NPP). Domestically and internationally, the early voter turnout exceeded 50%, highlighting the importance of the election results, which will significantly influence the nation’s energy future, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.

Presidential remarks: A milestone for direct democracy
President Tokayev cast his vote in the nationwide referendum and later described the event as historic during the briefing for media representatives. He emphasized that the referendum is a crucial mechanism of direct democracy and expressed confidence that the right choice would be made by the nation.“Undoubtedly, today will go down in history. Our citizens have to make a choice – to have or not to have a nuclear power plant. A referendum is a very effective mechanism of direct democracy. Whatever decision the people make, the state will be guided by their will. I am sure the right decision will be made. Indeed, this is a significant event,” the President stated.President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also addressed a key question during a press briefing about which country will build a nuclear power plant if the referendum supports its construction, emphasizing the importance of thorough planning and international collaboration moving forward.He acknowledged the complexity of the issue, stating, “This is not an easy question. The government needs to conduct an analysis and hold appropriate negotiations. But my personal view on this issue is that an international consortium should operate in Kazakhstan, consisting of global companies with the most advanced technologies.”

Voter turnout trends: A detailed analysis
The nationwide referendum witnessed notable variations in voter turnout throughout the day, with strong participation in numerous regions. 17.79% of eligible voters had cast their ballots as of 10:00 AM. Karaganda region had the highest turnout at 30.63%, followed by Astana at 24.08%. Almaty and Shymkent reported lower participation percentages, with 19.56% and 8.66%, respectively.Karaganda maintained its lead at 46.89%, while the overall turnout increased to 39.23% by 12:00 PM. Shymkent experienced a notable rise, increasing from 19.56% to 57.03%. Nevertheless, Almaty experienced only a minor increase, with a total of 11.83%. West Kazakhstan (36.67%) and Zhambyl (34.27%) exhibited lower levels of participation than other regions, such as Akmola (45.48%) and Aktobe (44.87%).51.77% of eligible voters submitted their ballots, as the turnout continued to increase by 2:00 PM. Turkistan region surpassed Karaganda, which maintained a strong 59.92%, to become the leader with 67.38%.

Shymkent additionally increased its turnout to 64.38%, while Almaty maintained a relatively low level of 16.91%. Kostanay and East Kazakhstan also reported significant turnouts, with 61.94% and 61.73%, respectively.7,062,358 individuals or 57.86% of eligible voters participated by 4:00 PM. Voter turnout varied with Kyzylorda leading at 76.15%, followed by Kostanay at 67.77% and Turkistan at 70.73%.By 6:00 PM, the total voter participation rate had reached 61.56%. Kyzylorda led with 79.87%, Turkistan followed with 74.23%, and Kostanay with 70.99%. Almaty, despite its improvement, maintained its status as the region with the lowest turnout at 22.91%. Shymkent’s percentage of growth persisted, reaching 68.89%, while Karaganda was 69.48%. Members of the Central Election Commission reported that 7,820,918 individuals had received ballots as of 8:00 PM or 63.87% of the total number of voters. The maximum number of votes at 82.48% was recorded in Kyzylorda region, while the Mangistau region had a turnout of 54.03%. Akmola region also exhibited a high level of activity, with a turnout of 71.63%, whereas Almaty’s turnout was only 25.39%.Voter turnout was substantial at the polling station in the Ulken rural district, with 1066 out of 1096 registered voters participating, resulting in 97% turnout.

Almaty Region
Akimat pointed out that high attendance is indicative of the villagers’ civic engagement. Of these, 956 expressed support for the nuclear power plant construction and 79 people voted against. It is important to note that Ulken may be chosen as the place for the construction of a nuclear power plant in the future; however, the final decision will not be made until the referendum votes have been tallied.

Engagement of Kazakh citizens abroad: Global participation
Kazakh voters abroad actively participated in the referendum, with 74 polling places established in 59 countries for 12,307 registered voters. Countries in East Asia, including South Korea, Japan, and China, were among the first to open polling stations, while the station in London opened later due to the time difference. Voting was conducted smoothly under the election commission’s supervision, ensuring full compliance with regulations. In the meantime, Türkiye has experienced substantial voter turnout at three polling stations: Ankara, Istanbul, and Antalya.

Many of the 3,000 Kazakh citizens who are registered to vote in Türkiye are students, diplomats, and travelers. Voter turnout had surpassed 70% by midday, according to the director of the Ankara polling station. Mobile ballot boxes were available for those who were unable to visit the polling stations due to health issues. The polling station at the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Baku reported an impressive 83% turnout by 4:00 PM Astana time in Azerbaijan, and over 50% of registered voters had cast their ballots by 3:00 PM local time in Belgium. According to preliminary data, 82% of Kazakhstan’s citizens living in Uzbekistan participated and cast their vote. In Bishkek, at polling located in the building of the Embassy of Kazakhstan, voting ended with a turnout of 58%. Voter turnout was especially high in Armenia: at the Yerevan polling station, turnout was 89% by 5:00 PM, including both students and senior citizens. By 7:00 PM, 13 polling stations abroad had completed their work, with a total of 7,358 people voting, with an overall turnout of 59.70%, while 60 stations in other countries continued their work. The referendum was launched last in the United States, where three polling stations opened at Kazakhstan’s diplomatic missions. The first to open were in Washington and New York, followed by San Francisco.

International observers: Ensuring fairness and transparency
As reported earlier, 200 foreign journalists from 37 countries, as well as 177 observers from 30 foreign nations and 4 international organizations, have been accredited for the referendum. Among them is the SCO mission, consisting of 13 accredited observers, which confirmed that Kazakhstan’s referendum is being conducted in full compliance with national laws and international obligations. Deputy Secretary-General Oleg Kopylov praised the country’s transparency, noting: “We regard the invitation of international observers as Astana’s desire to ensure maximum openness, transparency, and democracy of the referendum.”

By 2:00 PM, voter turnout had reached 51.77%. “So we can congratulate you; this is a good indicator,” Kopylov said with hopes for a free and interference-free voting process. Chairman of the Central Election Commission of Azerbaijan Mazahir Panahov, who is in Kazakhstan as an observer at the referendum, stressed the importance of the popular vote and its transparency. “13 people came from Azerbaijan to observe the referendum. 6 from the parliament, 7 from the Central Electoral Commission. Three more from diplomatic posts located in Kazakhstan. By 3 PM, we had already managed to observe voting in 45 polling stations,” he said.

Panakhov also added that Kazakhstan can serve as an example of the implementation of electoral rights: “I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that at one polling station people came with small children. It was even obvious that they were not voters, but they were very happy to be inside while their parents voted. At one polling station, they even took pictures of us. In this regard, it was felt that the Kazakh people were free and wanted to express their desire.” Additionally, he pointed out that no violations were observed and that all necessary conditions were established for the voters.

Exit polls insights
The Institute for Comprehensive Social Research has published the results of an exit poll on the referendum on the construction of a NPP in Kazakhstan, according to which 69.8% of citizens voted for the project and 30.2% voted against. The survey was conducted at 189 polling stations across the country with 283,519 citizens. The Institute of Public Policy of the Amanat party also conducted an exit poll with 44,160 citizens, 600 interviewers and supervisors across 300 stations. According to the results, 72.3% of the referendum participants supported the construction of a nuclear power plant, while 27.7% disagreed. Additionally, results of an exit poll shared by the Institute of Eurasian Integration showed that 71.8% of citizens supported the construction of the nuclear power plant and 28.2% voted against. Vote tabulation is scheduled to commence in the upcoming days, and preliminary results will be disclosed. The final decision on the construction of the NPP is anticipated to be made within seven days.

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