NPP construction in Kazakhstan backed by 71.12% of voters - CEC final data

ASTANA. Oct 8 (Interfax) - A total of 71.12% of Kazakh citizens who voted in the October 6 nationwide referendum supported plans to build a nuclear power plant (NPP) in Kazakhstan, head of the Central Elections Commission (CEC) Nurlan Abdirov said.

"The number of citizens who gave a positive answer to the referendum's question totaled 5,561,937, or 71.12%," Abdirov said, summing up the referendum results at a CEC meeting on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, 2,045,271, or 26.15% of the total number of Kazakh citizens who voted in the referendum, were against the NPP construction, he said.

A nationwide referendum on whether to build a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan took place on Sunday. Kazakh citizens answered a single question, "Do you agree with building a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan?"

Kazakhstan has a population of over 20 million. More than 12.2 million citizens are eligible to vote.