Kazakhstan’s Central Referendum Fee introduced on June 6 the preliminary official outcomes of a state-wide referendum on the adoption of amendments to the Structure that may decide the way forward for the Central Asian nation, proposed earlier this 12 months by the Central Asian nation’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, noting that 77.18 % of the voters within the referendum on 5 June accepted the proposed amendments.
The vote paves the best way for altering 33, or one third articles of the doc initially adopted in 1995. The reforms had been promoted as tilting considerably the checks and balances within the Kazakh political construction away from a super-presidential system by strengthening competences of the Parliament and native authorities, in addition to the human rights safety mechanisms.
“Calculation of ballots solid in all of 10,012 polling stations that had been working throughout the nation and overseas have now been accomplished. Based on the regulation, the referendum is taken into account legitimate, if greater than 50% of the residents eligible to vote have achieved so in additional than two thirds of the nation’s areas,” Central Referendum Fee Chairman Nurlan Abdirov stated, saying the preliminary official outcomes of the vote based mostly on the digital copies of protocols obtained from all territorial commissions for the referendum. ‘Out of 11,734,642 residents eligible to vote, 7,986,293 are thought-about to have solid their poll, [meaning] a turnout of 68.06%… Thus, the referendum could be thought-about legitimate… The [share] of residents to have answered “Sure” to the query requested on the referendum made 77.18%, or 6,163,863 residents, an absolute majority in every area of the nation. Thus, the regulation’s circumstances have been met,” he added.
On the similar time, 18.66% of voters answered “No”, whereas additional 4.16% of the ballots solid had been recognised invalid.
Kazakhstan’s Deputy Premier and Overseas Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi highlighted the importance of nation voting in favour of the amendments to the Structure. “The referendum was a historic second for Kazakhstan. The accepted amendments to the Structure imply a brand new part within the growth of our statehood as they clearly purpose at strengthening the human rights safety mechanisms and the democratic establishments in Kazakhstan,” Tileuberdi stated.
Kazakhstan’s Overseas Minister famous that these adjustments will lead to better competitors within the political system of our nation and expanded citizen participation in state governance. “One essential change would be the final, unequivocal ban on the loss of life penalty, to be clearly written down within the renewed Structure, in keeping with our dedication based on the Second Non-compulsory Protocol to the 1966 Covenant on Civil and Political Reforms that our Parliament ratified final 12 months,” Tileuberdi stated.
“We welcome the excessive voter turnout and the choice of our compatriots to assist these reforms, which can positively affect the lives of each citizen. We’re additionally grateful to quite a few home and international observers for monitoring the referendum, which helped us in conducting it in a good and clear method in keeping with democratic requirements and rules. Subsequently, we see this as a transparent assist from the worldwide group for this referendum and President Tokayev’s reform agenda. Certainly, that is simply step one in direction of constructing a New Kazakhstan,” Tileuberdi stated, including, “Important work lies forward to implement the amendments on the constitutional and legislative degree, and we sit up for working with all our companions as we enter a brand new chapter in Kazakhstan’s trendy historical past”.
As famous beforehand, the accepted amendments will affect one third of the Structure (33 articles). Their implementation will facilitate a complete transformation of your complete state mannequin of Kazakhstan, together with the transition from a “super-presidential” type of authorities to a presidential republic with an influential parliament and an accountable authorities. As well as, the powers of the President can be decreased, the function of the parliament and native authorities can be considerably strengthened, and the mechanisms for the safety of human rights strengthened, together with by re-establishing the Constitutional Court docket and giving a constitutional mandate to the Commissioner for Human Rights.
Earlier, Tokayev acknowledged the primary objective of the constitutional reform is “the democratisation of the nation and increasing the alternatives for individuals to take part in governance.”
“At present is a crucial historic day for our nation, certainly. Persons are taking a fateful resolution,” Tokayev stated on June 5, including, “There is no such thing as a compulsion. The referendum has been organized at a excessive degree”.
