ASTANA — Kazakhstan will operate 71 polling stations in 54 countries for the upcoming referendum, while suspending 11 stations in 10 countries due to security concerns, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yerlan Zhetybayev said at a March 10 briefing.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yerlan Zhetybayev.
The ministry has established a special headquarters to coordinate preparations for the referendum. Due to the escalation of the military-political situation in the Middle East and a low level of security in Ukraine and Ethiopia, voting locations at Kazakhstan’s embassies in Iran, Israel, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Lebanon, Kuwait, Ukraine and Ethiopia, as well as at the Consulate General of Kazakhstan in Dubai, will not operate.
In total, 14,230 Kazakh citizens abroad are expected to be eligible to vote.
The referendum is also expected to draw significant international attention. A total of 336 international observers from 10 international and regional organizations, 27 foreign Central Election Commissions, and members of the diplomatic corps accredited in Kazakhstan are planned to participate. Additionally, 185 representatives from 68 foreign media outlets across 31 countries are expected to cover the vote.
