Tokayev signs into law bill lifting ban on referendum to change first Kazakh president's status

NUR-SULTAN. May 5 (Interfax) - Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed a constitutional law on introducing amendments and additions to the Kazakh constitutional law on republican referendum, the presidential press service said on Thursday.

Earlier the same day, deputies endorsed an amendment to the law on referendum, which removes the regulation banning the change of the status of first Kazakh President and leader of the nation Nursultan Nazarbayev from being put to a referendum.

A number of amendments are also being introduced into the law aimed at unifying the ballot forms used in holding the republican referendum.

In particular, rules are being introduced for invalidating questions on the ballots which do not contain any answer, put to the referendum. Additionally, ballots with all the proposed answers will be recognized as valid.

Earlier, President Tokayev proposed a referendum in Kazakhstan on amendments to the constitution.

The amendments to the constitution were initiated by the president and announced in his March 2022 address to the nation. The changes will affect more than 30 articles of the country's fundamental law. In particular, as part of the amendments to the constitution, the status of the first Kazakh president is planned to be dropped from the country's fundamental law.