Kazakhs vote on the first nuclear power station in country

The result is expected to be in favour despite lingering resentment over massive radiation exposure as a result of Soviet-era nuclear tests

Kazakhstan voted on Sunday (October 6, 2024) in a referendum on building the country’s first nuclear power station as the world’s top uranium producer looks to boost its power generation capacity.

The result, due to be announced on Monday (October 8, 2024), is expected to be in favour despite lingering resentment over massive radiation exposure as a result of Soviet-era nuclear tests. China, France, Russia, and South Korea are in the process of building the new power station, which is to be located on the shores of Lake Balkhash.

The issue of nuclear power, however, is sensitive in Kazakhstan. Between 1949 and 1989, the USSR carried out around 450 nuclear tests there, exposing 1.5 million people to radiation.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who was elected in 2019, said it will be “the biggest project in the history of independent Kazakhstan”.

The “Yes” campaign has dominated ahead of the vote in a country which still has authoritarian reflexes, despite an easing of pressure on civil society under Mr. Tokayev’s rule. “(the referendum is) another clear demonstration of the concept of a state that listens,” Mr. Tokayev said ahead of the vote. To ensure a high turnout, Kazakhs were allowed to vote even if they were not enrolled on electoral registers and riding on buses in major cities was free for the day.

Opponents of the project fear an environmental disaster in the event of any accidents at the power plant but have struggled to spread their message. Dozens of them were arrested in the weeks before the referendum, according to local private media.

Published - October 07, 2024 07:29 am IST