A referendum on extending Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev's term of office until 2020 may take place in Kazakhstan in March 2011, the head of the Astana city council said on Friday.
An initiative group submitted on Friday a request to the country's Central Election Commission to approve the holding of the referendum instead of presidential elections scheduled for 2012, Vladimir Redkokashin said.
This is necessary, he said, because "as of now, there is no alternative to Nursultan Abishevich [Nazarbayev], the Leader of the Nation and the president of our country."
Nazarbayev, 69, has ruled the Central Asian state for 21 years, as first secretary of the Kazakh Communist Party from 1989, and since the breakup of the Soviet Union as president of Kazakhstan.
In June, the title of "Leader of the Nation" was bestowed upon him by his country's lawmakers. The title gives him a wide range of privileges after the expiration of his presidential term.
"The holding of the referendum, the granting of power to the president until 2020 is a very positive initiative that is supported by all citizens," Redkokashin said, adding that the results of the referendum are likely to show that the "overwhelming majority" of the Kazakh people agree with the proposal.
The official expressed the hope that the Central Election Commission would approve the request in early January, adding that the referendum could take place in March 2011.
According to Kazakh law, at least 200,000 people eligible to take part in the referendum and equally representing different regions should sign a request to the country's president to hold a referendum.
ASTANA, December 24 (RIA Novosti)
