Kazakh opposition parties, NGOs plan referendum on Eurasian Union membership
ALMATY. Sept 11 (Interfax) - Activists of a number of opposition parties and NGOs in Kazakhstan are determined to initiate a referendum on the country's role in building a Eurasian Union, on elections of heads of local administrations and on reconsidering privatization results.
"We want to come up with a proposal and ask the people in our country to discuss three important issues that need to be resolved," United Social-Democratic Party Co-Chairman Azat Bulat Abilov said at a press conference in Almaty on Tuesday.
"Yes, we want development of integration, and yes, we want development of economic relations on an equal footing, but not a political union," Abilov said.
The opposition also wants reconsideration of the results of privatization of strategic enterprises.
"The third question, which is important, in our view, is elections of akims [heads of local administrations] of all levels," Abilov said. "We want to say that the Kazakh people are mature enough to elect local government bodies at all levels," Abilov said.
The initiators of the referendum plan to start campaigning in provinces in the near future, after which the organizing committee will hold a session to agree upon the wordings for the referendum questions.
