77 p.c of voters in Kazakhstan supported the constitutional referendum

Voters in Kazakhstan in a referendum backed constitutional amendments proposed by President Kasim Zhomart Tokayev, the Central Election Commission introduced on Monday.

Tokayev promoted the reform as a step in direction of the liberalization of this oil-rich Central Asian region connected to Russia, while key levers of ability will stay in his hands.

Analysts say the referendum could be found as a rehearsal for his candidacy for a 2nd presidential expression.

The fee reported 77.18 for each cent of the vote in Sunday’s referendum was in favor of amendments decentralizing conclusion-making and depriving former chief Nursultan Nazarbayev of “national leader” position. The turnout was 68.06 %.

Tokayev proposed a reform bundle after a failed coup endeavor amid lethal unrest in January.

The greatest former Soviet republic of Central Asia, loaded in minerals and hydrocarbons, was the scene of violence in January that killed 230 people.

These riots, the deadliest since independence in 1991, adopted tranquil protests towards climbing fuel prices, but turned into clashes involving law enforcement and civilians.

Prior to the riots, incumbent President Tokayev, 69, was viewed as an ally of Nursultan Nazarbayev, 81, a president who resigned in 2019, when retaining terrific electricity from the shadows.

But the January riots were being a turning position, and Tokayev seemingly benefited from the crisis by curbing the impact of his predecessor and ousting some of his relations from ability.

The brings about of the January riots continue to be to some degree unclear. Violence has devastated the middle of Almaty, but Nur-Sultan, a former Astana renamed in 2018 in honor of Nazarbayev, has been spared.

Tokayev accused the “terrorists” of seeking to just take electric power, but it is also believed that it could have been a struggle for ability. Right after the crisis, Toyakev publicly criticized Nazarbayev, accusing him of safeguarding the loaded.