Kazakhstan votes in favor of building its first nuclear power plant

Kazakh citizens voted in favor of constructing the country's first nuclear power plant during a referendum held on Sunday, with preliminary results announced on Monday.

According to the Kazakh Central Election Commission, voter turnout was recorded at 63.66%, with over 7.8 million out of 12.2 million eligible voters participating, News.Az reports.

The results revealed that 71.1% of voters, approximately 5.5 million, supported the initiative, while just over 2 million voted against it. An earlier statement from the Kazakh Foreign Ministry indicated that nearly 10,000 citizens cast their votes at 74 polling stations set up abroad, achieving a voter turnout of 81.06%.

Voting commenced on Sunday morning across 10,249 polling stations nationwide and concluded at 8 PM local time (1500 GMT). President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who initially proposed the referendum over a year ago, emphasized its significance for Kazakhstan's future. However, the decision has faced criticism, particularly due to concerns about the legacy of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site in northeastern Kazakhstan, which was the site of over 450 nuclear tests during the Soviet era before its closure in 1991.

During a forum last Thursday, Tokayev stated that Kazakhstan must leverage its competitive advantages to avoid being sidelined in global progress. After casting his vote in the capital, Astana, he expressed his belief that an international consortium should be involved in the construction of the plant.

News.Az