Referendum marks new historical milestone for Kazakhstan — Uzbek CEC chief
Zayniddin Nizamkhodjaev, Chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Uzbekistan, who arrived in Kazakhstan as an international observer, highly praised the preparations and the voting process, Qazinform News Agency reports.
According to Nizamkhodjaev, the delegation began work right after arrival.
"We arrived yesterday and held a bilateral meeting with the Chairman and the Central Referendum Commission. We received comprehensive answers regarding the preparations," he said.
The observer noted that the Uzbek side inquired in detail about every stage of the campaign and the work done within a tight timeframe. He noted that the meeting left the delegation with a clear impression of the organizers' readiness.
"Our colleagues answered all our questions. We were absolutely confident that the referendum team was ready," he emphasized.
Zayniddin Nizamkhodjaev highlighted the significance of the voting for the country. He called it a landmark political event for Kazakhstan and its citizens.
"Today’s referendum marks a new historical milestone, the beginning of a new future for Kazakhstan," he stated.
Speaking as a professional who has worked within the electoral system for many years, he was particularly pleased by the clearly visible scale of the preparatory work carried out.
"As the head of the election commission, I am glad to see that our colleagues have carried out extensive preparations. Today, we are witnesses to those efforts," he said.
Visiting polling stations, the delegation saw not only the well-organized work of the commissions but also the active participation of the citizens themselves. According to him, the atmosphere at the polling stations was also particularly noteworthy.
"We are pleased to see young election commission members and public observers. Their level of activity was a pleasant surprise," he noted.
The Uzbek representative noted a significant voter engagement already by midday.
"One pleasant fact is that by 12:00 PM, at the several stations we visited, over 40% of voters have already cast their ballots," he said.
The observer pointed out that the delegation focused not only on voter turnout but also on procedural compliance. According to him, the international observers asked commission representatives specific questions regarding voter numbers, public notification procedures, and the arrangements made for those unable to cast their ballots in person.
He specifically addressed voting accessibility. The observer said that the commissions provided detailed information regarding home voting for those who had submitted the necessary applications in advance.
"For example, here, three people had already voted from home, as provided by law. At another, seven. At one station, we witnessed 12 people requesting home voting," he explained.
In his view, this shows the procedure is organized to include various categories of citizens.
"In other words, all necessary conditions have been established to conduct the referendum properly and in full compliance with Kazakhstan's legislation," he stated.
Regarding the overall conduct of the vote, the representative of Uzbekistan stated that no violations had been found by the delegation.
"There have been no violations," he said.
Furthermore, he specifically highlighted the openness of the commission members.
"It is worth noting that the commission members —the chairperson, the secretaries, each member — answered all the questions we asked," the speaker underscored.
In conclusion, he addressed the citizens of Kazakhstan with a well-wish.
"I wish for the wise people of Kazakhstan to make their choice," he said.
Earlier, preliminary turnout for Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Referendum reached 64.43%.
