Voting begins in Kazakhstan referendum on new Constitution

Voting has begun in Kazakhstan in a nationwide referendum on a proposed new Constitution.

Polling stations opened across the country at 07:00 local time and will remain open until 20:00 (from 06:00 to 19:00 Baku time, News.Az reports.

Some special polling stations, including more than 90 located in military units, opened earlier at 06:00.

According to Kazakhstan’s Central Referendum Commission, 12,046,617 citizens eligible to vote have been included in the voter lists.

Authorities say 359 international observers and 206 foreign journalists have been accredited to monitor the referendum in order to ensure transparency.

Special measures have also been introduced to facilitate participation for people with disabilities. The Central Election Commission says 91,609 citizens with disabilities have been provided with special voting conditions.

Polling stations have been equipped with accessibility technologies, including Braille systems that allow visually impaired voters to fill in ballots independently. The text of the Constitution has also been adapted in Braille and in two languages.

A total of 10,401 polling stations are operating both inside Kazakhstan and abroad. Of these, 71 polling stations have been opened in 54 countries at Kazakhstan’s diplomatic missions to allow citizens overseas to vote.

One of these polling stations has also been set up at the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Azerbaijan, where Kazakh citizens living or staying in the country can cast their ballots.

The referendum is being held on the initiative of President Kassym Jomart Tokayev and is seen as part of a broader programme of political reform. According to the proposed draft, about 84 percent of the Constitution’s text has been revised, with new articles and sections introduced.

Voters are being asked a single question on the ballot: “Do you approve the new Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan?” and can choose either “for” or “against”.

News.Az 

By Faig Mahmudov