{"id":1828980,"date":"2026-03-16T06:09:06","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T03:09:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1828980"},"modified":"2026-03-16T06:09:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T03:09:06","slug":"almaty-picks-up-the-pieces-after-riots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1828980","title":{"rendered":"Almaty picks up the pieces after riots"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76372890_6.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"sk6xmai\">\n<div class=\"content-area sa7l9jt s9mg977\">\n<section data-tracking-name=\"sharing-icons-inline\" class=\"c75t7t0 hh5424a in-line closed\">\n<div class=\"copy-button-wrapper closed\"><span class=\"svdcmki\">https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5AS4p<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<figure class=\"s4bcs45\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76372890_800.webp 50w, https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76372890_801.webp 129w, https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76372890_802.webp 352w, https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76372890_803.webp 575w\" media=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 575px)\" height=\"100\" width=\"100\" \/><figcaption class=\"c1oedowi lofg86o m4xla6a s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">Two exit polls said around 87% of voters had backed the new constitution<small class=\"copyright c19ed66t ihwmx5 idu7i8u lxmvniw icns9en rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">Image: Pavel Mikheyev\/REUTERS<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<p>Voters <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/kazakhstan\/t-38960532\">in Kazakhstan<\/a> approved a new constitution in a referendum on Sunday, exit polls showed, in a move critics say could strengthen presidential powers and potentially allow <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/trump-pushes-for-closer-mineral-ties-with-central-asia\/a-74651959\">President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to remain<\/a> in power beyond 2029.<\/p>\n<p>Two exit polls indicated that about 87% of voters backed the new constitution, with turnout at around 73%, according to the election commission.<\/p>\n<h2>What are the key amendments under the new constitution?<\/h2>\n<p>Under the new constitution:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>the office of vice president, abolished in 1996, is to be recreated<\/li>\n<li>the president is to be given authority to appoint the vice president<\/li>\n<li>the head of state would\u00a0also appoint top officials such as the heads of the central bank, the intelligence services and the constitutional court<\/li>\n<li>the senate, which used to approve top appointments, is to be abolished<\/li>\n<li>a new single-chamber assembly called the Kurultai is to be created<\/li>\n<li>the president is to be able to dissolve assembly and rule by executive orders if the parliament refuses to approve presidential nominees to key posts twice<\/li>\n<li>regulations around freedom of speech are to be tightened, saying it must not &#8220;undermine the morality of society or violate public order&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure class=\"placeholder-image master_landscape big\"><img data-format=\"MASTER_LANDSCAPE\" data-id=\"68186588\" data-url=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/68186588_${formatId}.jpg\" data-aspect-ratio=\"16\/9\" alt=\"Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev addresses parliament\"><figcaption class=\"img-caption\">Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said his proposals would essentially create a &#8220;new system of state governance&#8221; [FILE Photo: February 6, 2024]<small class=\"copyright\">Image: Kazakhstan&#8217;s Presidential Press Office\/picture alliance\/AP<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Amendment might tighten controls over democratic institutions<\/h2>\n<p>Experts say the changes could allow Tokayev to reset presidential term limits or <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/new-era-for-kazakhstans-reelected-president\/a-63822032\">install a successor<\/a> through the vice presidency.<\/p>\n<p>Currently, the president is limited to a single seven-year term, a rule introduced in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking after voting in the capital Astana, Tokayev said the next presidential election would take place in 2029 when his term ends and insisted that there are &#8220;absolutely no grounds for worry that this [the new constitution] will have a <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/kazakhstan-bride-kidnapping-tradition\/a-71303808\">negative impact on society<\/a>.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Former president Nursultan Nazarbayev, who ruled from 1991 to 2019, said he supported the new constitution.<\/p>\n<p>Political analyst Viktor Kovtunovsky told AFP news agency the measures amounted to a &#8220;dismantling of liberal concessions&#8221; Tokayev had been forced to make in recent years.<\/p>\n<p>Already,\u00a0several critics of the reforms have been detained and questions by the police, while journalists have been fined for publishing independent opinions on the polls.<\/p>\n<p>Kovtunovsky also foresees the president&#8217;s move as an attempt to &#8220;prepare the throne for his successor.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Human Rights Watch warned the changes threaten civil liberties.<\/p>\n<p>Kazakhstan, Central Asia&#8217;s largest economy and <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/kazakhstan-oil-ukraine-russia-drones-black-sea\/a-75455865\">a major energy and minerals producer<\/a>, has maintained tight political control since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.<\/p>\n<div class=\"vjs-wrapper embed big\">\n<h2 aria-label=\"Embedded video \u2014 Almaty picks up the pieces after riots\" class=\"headline\">Almaty picks up the pieces after riots<\/h2>\n<p><video id=\"video-60623794\" controls playsinline preload=\"none\" poster=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" data-id=\"60623794\" data-posterurl=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/60597236_605.webp\" data-duration=\"02:31\"><source src=\"https:\/\/hlsvod.dw.com\/i\/Events\/mp4\/je\/je20220201_Almaty00FNEU_,sd,hd,.mp4.csmil\/master.m3u8\" type=\"application\/x-mpegURL\" \/><\/video><\/div>\n<p><em>Edited by: Saim Du\u0161an Inayatullah<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<p>Voters <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/kazakhstan\/t-38960532\">in Kazakhstan<\/a> approved a new constitution in a referendum on Sunday, exit polls showed, in a move critics say could strengthen presidential powers and potentially allow <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/trump-pushes-for-closer-mineral-ties-with-central-asia\/a-74651959\">President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to remain<\/a> in power beyond 2029.<\/p>\n<p>Two exit polls indicated that about 87% of voters backed the new constitution, with turnout at around 73%, according to the election commission.<\/p>\n<h2>What are the key amendments under the new constitution?<\/h2>\n<p>Under the new constitution:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>the office of vice president, abolished in 1996, is to be recreated<\/li>\n<li>the president is to be given authority to appoint the vice president<\/li>\n<li>the head of state would\u00a0also appoint top officials such as the heads of the central bank, the intelligence services and the constitutional court<\/li>\n<li>the senate, which used to approve top appointments, is to be abolished<\/li>\n<li>a new single-chamber assembly called the Kurultai is to be created<\/li>\n<li>the president is to be able to dissolve assembly and rule by executive orders if the parliament refuses to approve presidential nominees to key posts twice<\/li>\n<li>regulations around freedom of speech are to be tightened, saying it must not &#8220;undermine the morality of society or violate public order&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure class=\"placeholder-image master_landscape big\"><img data-format=\"MASTER_LANDSCAPE\" data-id=\"68186588\" data-url=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/68186588_${formatId}.jpg\" data-aspect-ratio=\"16\/9\" alt=\"Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev addresses parliament\"><figcaption class=\"img-caption\">Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said his proposals would essentially create a &#8220;new system of state governance&#8221; [FILE Photo: February 6, 2024]<small class=\"copyright\">Image: Kazakhstan&#8217;s Presidential Press Office\/picture alliance\/AP<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Amendment might tighten controls over democratic institutions<\/h2>\n<p>Experts say the changes could allow Tokayev to reset presidential term limits or <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/new-era-for-kazakhstans-reelected-president\/a-63822032\">install a successor<\/a> through the vice presidency.<\/p>\n<p>Currently, the president is limited to a single seven-year term, a rule introduced in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking after voting in the capital Astana, Tokayev said the next presidential election would take place in 2029 when his term ends and insisted that there are &#8220;absolutely no grounds for worry that this [the new constitution] will have a <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/kazakhstan-bride-kidnapping-tradition\/a-71303808\">negative impact on society<\/a>.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Former president Nursultan Nazarbayev, who ruled from 1991 to 2019, said he supported the new constitution.<\/p>\n<p>Political analyst Viktor Kovtunovsky told AFP news agency the measures amounted to a &#8220;dismantling of liberal concessions&#8221; Tokayev had been forced to make in recent years.<\/p>\n<p>Already,\u00a0several critics of the reforms have been detained and questions by the police, while journalists have been fined for publishing independent opinions on the polls.<\/p>\n<p>Kovtunovsky also foresees the president&#8217;s move as an attempt to &#8220;prepare the throne for his successor.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Human Rights Watch warned the changes threaten civil liberties.<\/p>\n<p>Kazakhstan, Central Asia&#8217;s largest economy and <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/kazakhstan-oil-ukraine-russia-drones-black-sea\/a-75455865\">a major energy and minerals producer<\/a>, has maintained tight political control since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.<\/p>\n<div class=\"vjs-wrapper embed big\">\n<h2 aria-label=\"Embedded video \u2014 Almaty picks up the pieces after riots\" class=\"headline\">Almaty picks up the pieces after riots<\/h2>\n<p><video id=\"video-60623794\" controls playsinline preload=\"none\" poster=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" data-id=\"60623794\" data-posterurl=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/60597236_605.webp\" data-duration=\"02:31\"><source src=\"https:\/\/hlsvod.dw.com\/i\/Events\/mp4\/je\/je20220201_Almaty00FNEU_,sd,hd,.mp4.csmil\/master.m3u8\" type=\"application\/x-mpegURL\" \/><\/video><\/div>\n<p><em>Edited by: Saim Du\u0161an Inayatullah<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Voters <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/kazakhstan\/t-38960532\">in Kazakhstan<\/a> approved a new constitution in a referendum on Sunday, exit polls showed, in a move critics say could strengthen presidential powers and potentially allow <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/trump-pushes-for-closer-mineral-ties-with-central-asia\/a-74651959\">President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to remain<\/a> in power beyond 2029.<\/p>\n<p>Two exit polls indicated that about 87% of voters backed the new constitution, with turnout at around 73%, according to the election commission.<\/p>\n<p>Under the new constitution:<\/p>\n<p>Experts say the changes could allow Tokayev to reset presidential term limits or <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/new-era-for-kazakhstans-reelected-president\/a-63822032\">install a successor<\/a> through the vice presidency.<\/p>\n<p>Currently, the president is limited to a single seven-year term, a rule introduced in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking after voting in the capital Astana, Tokayev said the next presidential election would take place in 2029 when his term ends and insisted that there are &#8220;absolutely no grounds for worry that this [the new constitution] will have a <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/kazakhstan-bride-kidnapping-tradition\/a-71303808\">negative impact on society<\/a>.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Former president Nursultan Nazarbayev, who ruled from 1991 to 2019, said he supported the new constitution.<\/p>\n<p>Political analyst Viktor Kovtunovsky told AFP news agency the measures amounted to a &#8220;dismantling of liberal concessions&#8221; Tokayev had been forced to make in recent years.<\/p>\n<p>Already,\u00a0several critics of the reforms have been detained and questions by the police, while journalists have been fined for publishing independent opinions on the polls.<\/p>\n<p>Kovtunovsky also foresees the president&#8217;s move as an attempt to &#8220;prepare the throne for his successor.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Human Rights Watch warned the changes threaten civil liberties.<\/p>\n<p>Kazakhstan, Central Asia&#8217;s largest economy and <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/kazakhstan-oil-ukraine-russia-drones-black-sea\/a-75455865\">a major energy and minerals producer<\/a>, has maintained tight political control since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vjs-no-js\">To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that <a href=\"https:\/\/videojs.com\/html5-video-support\/\" target=\"_blank\">supports HTML5 video<\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Edited by: Saim Du\u0161an Inayatullah<\/em><\/p>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/kazakhstan-votes-to-approve-constiutional-reform-tokayev\/a-76372891&#8243;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76372890_6.jpg&#8221;] https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5AS4p Two exit polls said around 87% of voters had backed the new constitutionImage: Pavel Mikheyev\/REUTERS Voters in Kazakhstan approved a new constitution in a referendum on Sunday, exit polls showed, in a move critics say could strengthen presidential powers and potentially allow President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to remain in power beyond 2029. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,74],"class_list":["post-1828980","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dw-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1828980","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1828980"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1828980\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1828980"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1828980"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1828980"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}