Kazakh voters have overwhelmingly approved a new constitution that could allow President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev a loophole to stay in power beyond 2029. Exit polls showed that around 87% of voters have backed the new constitution.
Tokayev, who has been President of Kazakhstan since 2019, is presently limited to a single seven year term until 2029.
The new Constitution will now come into effect in a few months from July 1, leading to the dissolution of the current parliament.
Rewriting the Constitution: Kazakhstan faces scrutiny over proposed overhaul
The new constitution, like the old, limits holders of the position to one seven-year term. But analysts have said the new constitution could provide Tokayev the opportunity to reset presidential term limits.
Other measures in the new constitution include the reduction of the Kazakhstani Parliament's two chambers to one, the restoration of the post of Vice President and fresh powers for the President to appoint a host of key officials.
The reintroduction of the Vice President post has led some analysts to suggest 72-year-old Tokayev may be looking to anoint a successor and leave office early. But speaking to reporters after voting in the capital, Astana, Tokayev said the next presidential election would take place in 2029, when his term ended.
Kazakhstan proposes constitutional reform that could extend President's time in power
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Turnout in the referendum stood at 73%, the electoral commission said. This is the fifth nationwide referendum in the history of independent Kazakhstan with authorities saying it cost around $42 million to organise it.
Opposition to the constitutional rewrite has been marginal, with state-approved pollsters showing large majorities in favour of the new document. Since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Kazakh authorities have maintained tight control over politics in the country of 20 million.
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