ALMATY, Kazakhstan, March 15, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Kazakhs will cast ballots on Sunday in a constitutional referendum that authorities brand as democratising -- though several proposed amendments appear to strengthen presidential powers in Central Asia's richest country. After the 2022 protests over the cost of living that escalated into riots and left 238 people dead, the president pledged to liberalise the political system to build a "just Kazakhstan". The positions currently require approval from the Senate, the parliament's upper chamber, which would be abolished under the amendments. 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, as across much of post-Soviet Central Asia.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha March 15, 2026 03:05 UTC