© Reuters. A voter casts her poll throughout a constitutional referendum at a polling station in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, June 5, 2022. REUTERS/Pavel Mikheyev
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ALMATY (Reuters) -Kazakhstan voted on a constitutional reform on Sunday promoted by its president as a step towards liberalising the Central Asian republic, although it will nonetheless go away key powers in his fingers.
The reform is probably going to provide President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, 69, the political capital he must run for a second time period in oil-rich Kazakhstan, this time with out the backing of his former patron and predecessor Nursultan Nazarbayev.
In energy since 2019 following Nazarbayev’s abrupt resignation after three many years in cost, Tokayev has solely totally emerged as an unbiased determine this 12 months after placing down an tried coup in January and eradicating Nazarbayev and his relations from key positions within the authorities.
Except for strikes to decentralise decision-making and permit better illustration of assorted teams in parliament, the reform will even strip Nazarbayev of his “nationwide chief” standing which granted him lifetime privileges.
The president, nonetheless, would retain powers to nominate judges and regional governors and dissolve parliament.
Tokayev has described the proposed adjustments as a transfer from a “super-presidential” system to a presidential republic with a robust parliament. Though critics say the reform is beauty, it does sign a reversal from a decades-long pattern in direction of strengthening presidential powers.
“We’re… laying the inspiration for the Second Republic,” Tokayev mentioned, addressing the nation on the eve of the vote.
He voiced confidence on Sunday that his initiative would cross: “There may be quite a lot of work forward, we might want to implement the constitutional provisions for which we’re voting.”
Greater than 68% of voters solid their ballots by 10 p.m. native time (1600 GMT), the Central Election Fee mentioned, effectively above the required 50% threshold. The outcomes are anticipated on Monday.
Some, nonetheless, complained that the proposed adjustments to greater than 30 articles of the structure had been too sophisticated.
“Have you ever learn these amendments? It’s a puzzle,” mentioned Natalia, 64, who declined to provide her final identify and selected to not vote.
Analysts mentioned the referendum was partially a response to January’s unrest which began as a protest towards a gasoline worth hike and developed right into a broad show of public discontent with a system that concentrates energy and wealth within the fingers of some.
Tokayev has additionally known as for larger taxes on the profitable extractive industries and high-income people, saying social justice can be the cornerstone of a brand new social contract.
Addressing home coverage issues would liberate the profession diplomat’s fingers to take care of unprecedented exterior turbulence.
Caught between main financial and safety associate Russia and the West, which has invested tons of of billions of {dollars} in its big oilfields and mines, Kazakhstan is attempting to navigate a manner by way of the Ukraine disaster with out angering both facet.
