October Referendum To Decide Future Of Nuclear Energy In Kazakhstan

By Almaz Kumenov 

(Eurasianet) -- Kazakhstan is scheduling a referendum in just over a month to determine whether the country should build a nuclear plant to meet growing electricity needs. 

Characterizing nuclear energy as “reliable and environmentally friendly,” President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev set the referendum date for October 6. The wording of the referendum question is straightforward: “Do you agree with the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan?”. What isn’t clear iswho will build the reactor, if a majority votes in favor.

Nuclear energy “is capable of largely satisfying the rapidly growing needs of our economy,” Tokayev announced during his state-of-the-nationaddressin parliament on September 2. He framed the referendum as an important milestone in Kazakhstan’s political evolution.

“The upcoming referendum will be another manifestation of a broad national dialogue and a vivid example of the implementation of the concept of a ‘listening state,’” he said. “In essence, with such steps we are forming a new socio-political culture, laying down new standards for making key state decisions.”

Rights watchdogs groups challenge the notion of Kazakhstan as an emerging ‘listening state.’ For example, in its most recent report on individual rights and political freedom globally, Freedom HouserankedKazakhstan’s governing system as “not free.”

“The dominant media outlets are either in state hands or owned by government-friendly businessmen,” the Freedom House assessment for 2024 noted. “Freedoms of speech and assembly remain restricted and punished.”

According to the Central Election Commission, the government plans to allocate 15.5 billion tenge (about $32 million) for the October referendum, less than what was spent on a referendum on constitutional reform in June 2022.

Facing a growingneedfor power generation, the government has been mulling an embrace of nuclear energy in recent years. That need has grown significantly in recent months, given Kazakhstan’s plans to join with Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan in an initiative toexportelectricityto Western markets.

Kazakhstan’s legacy as a nuclear weapons proving ground, as well as memories of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, fosterconcernsamong many Kazakhs about nuclear power plants. Some also worry that a nuclear power plant, which would likely be built near Lake Balkhash, could cause environmental harm to that body of water, fanning fears about a water shortage in the country.

Polling dataindicatesthat a majority of Kazakhs favors nuclear power. What firm would be awarded the contract to build a nuclear plant is another topic of interest. Kazakh authorities reportedly have four proposals to choose from, developed by four countries – Russia, China, France and South Korea. Local observers widely suspect that the choice has allegedly already been made in favor of Rosatom, Russia’s nuclear entity.

• Almaz Kumenov is an Almaty-based journalist.