Kazakhstan to purge power bloc, elites after referendum
STORY: Tokayev's comments came following a referendum on a constitutional reform - seen a step toward liberalising the Central Asian republic.
Almost 44% of voters cast their ballots by midday, the Central Election Commission said.
The reform is likely to grant Tokayev, 69, the political capital he needs to run for a second term in oil-rich Kazakhstan, this time without the backing of his former patron and predecessor Nursultan Nazarbayev.
After casting his ballot, Tokayev said the commission, headed by the prosecutor general, would also control the return of funds illegally taken by the Kazakh citizens out of the country.
In early January of 2022, peaceful rallies that began after a sharp increase in gas prices in the city of Zhanaozen escalated into mass protests across the country with economic and political demands.
In many regions of the country, riots and attacks began on administrative buildings, police stations and stores.
Tokayev ordered 'shoot to kill without warning'. At that moment, the president also claimed that “20,000 terrorists trained abroad” had attacked Kazakhstan, but did not provide any evidence. Over 230 people died in c
