Kazakhstan will hold a nationwide referendum on whether to build a nuclear power plant
On September 1st, Kazakhstani President Tokayev stated in his annual State of the Union speech at the joint session of the upper and lower houses of parliament that a nationwide referendum will be held on the construction of nuclear power plants.
Tokayev pointed out in his speech that the development of nuclear energy has become a very important economic and political issue. He also admitted that there are different opinions in China on whether to build a nuclear power plant. On the one hand, Kazakhstan is the world's largest uranium producer, and some experts believe that small nuclear power plants should be built. However, some people and professionals have expressed doubts about the safety of nuclear power plants.
Regarding the public's doubts, Tokayev stated that considering the long-term suffering caused by the Seme nuclear test site to the people of the country, these doubts can be fully understood. Therefore, Tokayev emphasized that a decision on major strategic issues such as whether to build a nuclear power plant must be made through a nationwide referendum, which was also a commitment he made to the people of the country before the 2019 elections. At present, the exact date for holding the referendum has not been determined yet.
According to previous reports by Xinhua News Agency, in 1947, the Soviet Union established the Seme Nuclear Test Site in northeastern Kazakhstan. Over the following 40 years, the site conducted over 500 nuclear tests. On August 29, 1991, Kazakhstan's first President Nazarbayev decided to close the Seme nuclear test site, which was supported by residents in the surrounding areas and praised by countries around the world. Later, the United Nations also designated August 29th as the International Day for the Prohibition of Nuclear Tests.