Kazakhstan votes in favor of nuclear power plant construction, exit poll shows

ALMATY – Kazakhstan voted in a referendum on Oct 6 on whether to build its first nuclear power plant, and an exit poll showed voters backed the idea promoted by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s Cabinet as a way to phase out polluting coal plants.

The plan has faced public criticism due to concerns about related hazards, the Soviet nuclear testing legacy, and fears that Russia will be involved in the project.

Almost 64 per cent of registered voters had cast their ballots by 8pm (11pm Singapore time) when polling stations closed, the Central Election Commission said, making the vote valid.

The Commission will announce preliminary results on Oct 7 but an exit poll of about 284,000 voters showed 69.8 per cent of them voted in favor of the plan, local pollster SOCIS-A said hours after the vote ended.

“I have come to the conclusion that the decision to build the nuclear power plant, and to build it with (Russian state nuclear firm) Rosatom, has already been made in (Tokayev’s office) and the people of Kazakhstan are being invited to polling stations as ‘notaries’ to authenticate this decision with their votes,” popular blogger Vadim Boreiko wrote.

In the village of Ulken on the shores of Lake Balkhash, in the south-east of the country, which the Cabinet has designated as the site to build the plant, some locals hope the project would bring jobs. Others expressed concern about the impact on the quality of the lake water.

Ms Dametken Shulgeyeva, who has lived in the village of 1,200 people for more than 20 years, said: “I support the power plant. This is our future.”

Despite its sizeable natural gas reserves, the Central Asian nation of 20 million relies mostly on coal-powered plants for its electricity, supplemented by some hydroelectric plants and the growing renewable energy sector.

Kazakhstan already imports electricity, Mostly from Russia, as its facilities, many of which are old, struggle to meet domestic demand. And coal is regarded as the most polluting energy source.