Kazakhstan was on Sunday June 5 in the process of approving a modification of its Constitution, according to polls carried out at the exit of the polling stations broadcast after a referendum to end the era of ex-president Nursultan Nazarbayev and his clan, at the helm for 30 years.
Three polls indicate that the constitutional changes have gathered more than 74% of the vote in their favor, said on Telegram messaging the government of the largest former Soviet republic in Central Asia, recently shaken by deadly riots.
The last polling stations closed at 15:00 GMT.
An hour earlier, the electoral commission had announced a participation rate of nearly 68%.
Read alsoKazakhstan: a referendum to forget Nazarbayev
Kazakhstan, rich in minerals and hydrocarbons, was rocked in January by violence that left more than 230 people dead.
These disturbances, the deadliest since the country's independence in 1991, were preceded by peaceful protests against rising fuel prices, then degenerated into clashes between law enforcement and civilians.
Prior to the riots, current Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, 69, was widely seen as the henchman of Nursultan Nazarbayev, 81, who resigned in 2019, while continuing to play a big role in the shadows. role.
But the January violence marked a turning point, Kassym-Jomart Tokaev seeming to have taken advantage of the crisis to curb the influence of his predecessor and oust some of his relatives.
"
All Equal
"
The constitutional referendum organized on Sunday must modify about a third of the articles of the Kazakh fundamental law and, in particular, strip Nursultan Nazarbayev of the title of "
Elbasy
" - "
Head of the nation
" -, a status which gives him considerable authority. .
An amendment provides that the relatives of the leaders cannot occupy major government functions, a measure clearly aimed at the Nazarbayev family.
According to Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the constitutional revision aims to remove the current "
super-presidential
" regime, long marked by the cult of the personality of Nursultan Nazarbayev.
No campaign for the "
no
took place in this state known for repressing all critical voices.
In Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city, small queues had formed outside polling stations, AFP reported.
Ayan, an 18-year-old student who voted for the first time in his life, said he was pleased that Nursultan Nazarbayev's privileged status was removed.
The ex-president "
has a place in our history books, but all citizens should be equal before the Constitution
", he declared.
However, in the capital Nur-Sultan, Bolat, a 46-year-old businessman, explained that he would not vote because this referendum “
is a formality intended to consolidate the position of the current power
”.
power struggle
The precise causes of the January riots remain mysterious.
They had devastated the center of Almaty but spared Nur-Sultan, the former Astana, renamed in 2018 in honor of Nursultan Nazarbayev.
President Tokayev had accused "
terrorists
" of wanting to take power.
The arrest on January 8 of a close associate of Nursultan Nazarbayev, Karim Massimov, then head of the National Security Council, had however fueled speculation about a power struggle.
After the crisis, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also publicly criticized Nursultan Nazarbayev, accusing him of having protected the “
rich
”.
A nephew of the former head of state, Kaïrat Satybaldy, was arrested in March, accused of embezzlement.
Mr. Tokayev nevertheless also praised the work done by Noursultan Nazarbayev, a former Communist Party official who developed this immense country covered with steppes by relying on the windfall of hydrocarbons.
Nursultan Nazarbayev and Tokayev both advocate close ties with neighboring Russia, while maintaining partnerships with Westerners and China.
At the time of the riots, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had called for help from Moscow, which had sent troops, as part of the military alliance uniting the two countries.
The Kremlin ensures that this intervention had no political counterpart.
Since January, Nursultan Nazarbayev has hardly made any public appearances.
But he gave an interview on Monday in which he called for a vote in favor of the constitutional revision.
