01/31/2011, 00.00
KAZAKHSTAN
Send to a friend

Constitutional council turns down Nazarbayev’s referendum, but he can still have the last word

The apparent “grassroots” movement proposal was voted by the country’s one-party ruled parliament. It would allow the current president (in power since 1991) to extend his presidency to 2010. The Constitutional Council rules the law unconstitutional, but the president can still have the last word.

Astana (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Kazakhstan's Constitutional Council on Monday rejected a referendum to extend President Nursultan Nazarbayev's rule until 2020 on grounds it was unconstitutional. However, it left it up to the president to make a final decision.

“The law adopted by parliament does not correspond to the constitution," the Constitutional Council's chief justice Igor Rogov said, referring to a decision by parliament earlier this month that paved the way for the referendum that would have given Nazarbayev an opportunity to extend his presidency. Nevertheless, “the final word over the fate of the referendum rests with the head of state," he added.

Nazarbayev became the leader of Soviet Kazakhstan in 1984. When the Central Asian nation became independent in 1991, he continued to be its president.

The idea of a referendum to allow the president to run again came apparently from the “grassroots” at end of December, and found widespread support in the population. Five million Kazakhs in a country of 16 million people signed the petition in support of the proposal.

Nazarbayev himself presented the law adopted by parliament, where all members are from his own party, on 17 January.

On Saturday, the 71-year-old president in his annual address to the nation said that he plans to stay on “for as long as my health allows me”.

TAGs
Send to a friend
Printable version
CLOSE X
See also
Four pro-democracy activists get a year probation
20/11/2019 13:48
Astana, presidential elections: no real opponent for Tokaev
28/10/2022 09:36
Sara Duterte-Caprio and Marcos Jr form an alliance
16/11/2021 15:07
Nur-Sultan welcomes Pope Francis
13/09/2022 18:16
Kazakh crisis: Russian intervention sidelines Beijing
07/01/2022 16:18


Newsletter

Subscribe to Asia News updates or change your preferences

Subscribe now
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”