Majority of Kazakhstan’s voters back new constitution in referendum

MOSCOW

More than 87% of Kazakhstan’s citizens supported the adoption of a new constitution in the referendum on March 15, Central Referendum Commission Chairman Nurlan Abdirov said on Monday.

Speaking at a press briefing in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, he said 87.15% of voters supported approving the amendments. Abdirov added that voter turnout was 73.12%, with 9,127,192 of 12,482,613 eligible voters casting ballots.

A total of 7,954,667 voters, or 87.15%, supported the new constitution, while 898,099 opposed it, according to the commission.

On March 15, Kazakhstan held a nationwide referendum on a new constitution proposed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

The key amendments include replacing the bicameral Parliament with a unicameral body called the Kurultai and reinstating the position of vice president, which was abolished in 1996.

Following the vote, President Tokayev declared March 15 as Constitution Day, stating that citizens had made a "fundamental historical choice" for renewal and modernization.