Law on privileges of Nazarbayev, his family now null and void - Kazakh Senate speaker
NUR-SULTAN. June 9 (Interfax) - The Law on the First President of Kazakhstan - Leader of the Nation, which gave a number of privileges to Nursultan Nazarbayev and his family members, becomes null and void now that constitutional amendments have been approved, Kazakh Senate Speaker Maulen Ashimbayev said.
"Speaking of [the leader of the nation] Elbasy, we have removed the provisions concerning Elbasy and his family. The constitutional law on the first president is now null and void. This law is invalid, since we have removed such provisions from the constitution," Ashimbayev told reporters.
The Kazakh Central Elections Commission (CEC) said earlier that 77.18% of voters who took part in the June 5 referendum supported the proposed amendments to the Kazakh constitution. The CEC has estimated voter turnout at the referendum at 68.05%.
Under the country's law, the constitutional amendments take effect on the day the referendum results are formally published, namely on June 8, 2022.
Most of the constitutional amendments put to referendum aim to complete the transition from a super-presidential form of government to a presidential republic with a strong parliament. The updated constitution will formalize the equidistant status of the president from all political parties and movements and to prohibit the closest relatives of the head of state from holding leadership positions in the quasi-public sector.
The amendments abolish the constitutional provisions on the rule and privileges of First Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, including his right to be elected president for more than two terms of office, and the provision, which says that the status and rights of the first president are regulated by the constitution and the constitutional law.
The mention of Nazarbayev as the founder of independent Kazakhstan and the first president of Kazakhstan - Elbasy, the leader of the nation, as well as the invariability of his status has also been abolished.