Over 70% of Kazakh Citizens Vote for Construction of First Nuclear Power Plant in Country

ASTANA – A total of 71.12% of Kazakh citizens voted in favor of the construction of the first nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan during Sunday referendum, with a turnout of 63.66%, Kazakhstan’s Central Election Commission said on Monday.

“The number of citizens who took part in the referendum was 7,820,204 people or 63.66% of the number of citizens entitled to participate in the referendum. The number of citizens who voted for a positive decision on the referendum question was 5,561,937 people or 71.12%,” the election commission said in a statement.

The observer mission of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) did not reveal any violations during the referendum in Kazakhstan, mission member Natalia Budarina told Sputnik later in the day.

Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Oleg Kopylov also said that the SCO observer mission recognized the referendum as free and legitimate.

The observer mission of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) also believes that the referendum on the construction of the NPP was open and transparent, the head of the mission, Sadi Jafarov, said on Monday.

On Sunday, Kazakhstan held a referendum on the construction of the first nuclear power plant in the country. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said that if approved by the people, the construction and operation of the plant should be carried out by an international consortium. In June 2022, the Kazakh Energy Ministry said that the nuclear power plant was planned to be built on the shores of Lake Balkhash in the village of Ulken in the Almaty Region.