KazakKazakh president rejects constitutional amendments on referendum

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev did not sign the amendments to
the Constitution on holding a referendum on prolongation of
presidential terms until December 26, 2020, and sent them to the
constitutional council, RIA Novosti cites the press-service of the
constitutional council as saying.

An initiative group has collected over 5 million signatures of
citizens supporting the referendum, which requires 200,000 signatures.
The parliament introduced amendments to the Constitution on Friday,
overcoming the president"s veto.

The 70-year old Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has been at
power for over 20 years. The presidential elections will be held in
2012. Nazarbayev plans to take part in the process.

The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) registered an initiative group
and its request to hold a referendum on December 27. The initiative
group needed at least 200,000 signatures of citizens, representing all
regions, Astana and Alma-Ata at an equal ratio. Over half of Kazakh
voters, 5.016 million (55.2% of the population), have expressed
support for a referendum on the prolongation of the presidential terms
of Nursultan Nazarbayev. Territorial electoral commissions found over
194,000 invalid signatures.


Kazakhstan had a referendum on prolongation of presidential terms.
Nazarbayev had his terms of office prolonged from 1995 to 1999.