Tokayev signs decree to hold referendum on nuclear power plant

Tengrinews.kz - Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed a decree to hold a referendum on October 6 regarding the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan, reports Akorda's press service.

"I hereby decree: to hold a national referendum on October 6, 2024. The question to be posed in the referendum is: 'Do you agree with the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan?'" states the document.

The organization and conduct of the national referendum will be overseen by the Central Election Commission, which will act as the Central Referendum Commission, along with territorial and precinct election commissions performing the functions of territorial and precinct referendum commissions.
The government, in coordination with the CEC and other central and local executive bodies, is tasked with taking the necessary measures to organize and conduct the referendum.
The decree comes into effect from the date of signing, with official publication in the media scheduled for September 3.
President Tokayev had previously announced that the referendum on the nuclear power plant would take place on October 6, 2024.

"We must think about the future, considering our long-term national interests and the specifics of our country. That is why I have always insisted on the need for a well-considered decision on the construction of a nuclear power plant, with broad public discussion of strategic plans," Tokayev stated in his Address to the Nation.

Four companies have been shortlisted as potential technology providers for the construction of the nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan:

Chinese company CNNC with the HPR1000 reactor;
Korean KHNP with the APR1000 and APR1400 reactors;
Russian Rosatom with the VVER-1200;
French EDF with the EPR1200 technology.

Earlier, the Kazakh government approved a draft resolution on holding a referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant. Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov instructed the Ministry of Energy, in coordination with the government apparatus, to submit the draft decree to the President's Administration.