Kazakhstan holds a referendum on sweeping constitutional changes, with critics arguing amendments may strengthen presidential powers despite democratisation pledges.

ALMATY: Kazakhstan began voting on a constitutional referendum that authorities brand as a move towards democratisation.

Critics argue several proposed amendments appear to strengthen presidential powers in Central Asia’s richest country.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has pushed the vote on changing around 80% of the country’s basic law. He seeks to balance the resource-rich former Soviet republic’s ties between the European Union, Russia and China.

Electoral authorities reported more than half of the country’s approximately 12.5 million registered voters had cast their ballots by 2:00 pm local time.

After 2022 protests over the cost of living escalated into deadly riots, the president pledged to liberalise the political system to build a “just Kazakhstan”.

Announcing the amendments in February, he said the country was moving away from a “super-presidential” form of rule.

Tokayev said his proposals would create a “new system of state governance” that would “allow for the redistribution of power”.

However, several proposals indicate the opposite, as the president would be able to appoint top officials such as the heads of the central bank and intelligence services.

The positions currently require approval from the Senate, the parliament’s upper chamber, which would be abolished under the amendments.

A new single-chamber assembly, the Kurultai, would be created instead. The head of state would be able to dissolve it and rule by executive orders if the parliament refuses to approve presidential nominees twice.

The amendments also provide for a further tightening of freedom of speech, stating it must not “undermine the morality of society”.

Demonstrations, already rare in Kazakhstan, could also face further limitations under the proposed changes.

The sweeping constitutional overhaul was proposed just a month ago and then rushed through a hasty two-week campaign that saw little criticism.

International observers say that elections in Kazakhstan are often predictable and tend to ratify decisions taken by the leadership.

Tokayev brands himself as a reformer seeking to break with the country’s authoritarian past, but rights groups say democratic institutions remain tightly controlled.

To boost turnout and support, authorities have involved famous athletes and mobilised workers in mining and oil industries.

Several critics of the reforms have been summoned by police or briefly detained, while journalists who published independent opinion polls have been fined.

 The Sun Malaysia