ASTANA – As of 7 p.m. Astana time, 7,358 Kazakh citizens abroad cast their votes in the national referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant, marking a 59.79% voter turnout, Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko announced during an Oct. 6 briefing at the Central Election Commission.
Thirteen precincts in Seoul, Tokyo, Beijing, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Ulaanbaatar, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Bangkok, Jakarta, Hanoi, Omsk, and Bishkek have concluded voting, while 61 precincts in Central Asia, the Near and Middle East, Europe, South America, and the United States remain open.
Overall, Kazakhstan’s foreign missions in 59 countries have established 74 referendum precincts, with a total of 12,307 registered voters.
Following briefings with international observers of organizations such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Organization of Turkic States, and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, mission heads affirmed the referendum’s openness and legitimacy, with no violations reported at polling stations.
International observers also highlighted the high voter turnout. More than 200 foreign journalists are also covering the referendum.
