Ahead of the referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant, the Prosecutor General's Office has reminded people of the rules for conducting public opinion polls related to this event.
According to the press service of the department, polls may be conducted by legal entities with at least 5 years of experience in conducting polls. At the same time, they are obliged to notify the Central Election Commission (CEC) in advance, attaching copies of relevant documents.
Furthermore, it is forbidden to publish the results of polls in the media and on online platforms 5 days before polling day and on polling day itself.
It is also prohibited to conduct polls on election day inside polling stations or premises. It is noted that violation of these requirements carries administrative liability.
Prosecutors have already identified 8 instances of illegal public opinion polls related to the republican referendum. As a result, 6 individuals were held administratively liable and fined.
"We draw attention to the fact that citizens and public associations have the right to express their opinion on the issue put to the referendum during campaigning at meetings, rallies, gatherings of citizens, and in the media", the statement said.
The prosecutor's office reported that the campaign period began on September 3rd and will last until October 4th, 2024. It is noted that campaigning is prohibited on the preceding day and on the day of the referendum itself, i.e., October 5th and 6th, 2024.
At the same time, the department stated that all printed campaign materials must contain information about the organisation that produced them, the place of printing and the print run, as well as the individuals responsible for their publication.
"The distribution of anonymous campaign materials is prohibited. It is not permitted to display campaign materials on monuments, obelisks, buildings and structures of historical, cultural or architectural value, nor inside polling stations", the statement said.
It will be recalled that at the end of June, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated that the referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan would take place in the autumn of this year.
The President has repeatedly noted that the construction of a nuclear power plant is an especially important economic and political issue. The head of state assured that the final decision on the construction of the NPP would rest with the people.
In early September, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, in his annual Address to the people of Kazakhstan, announced that the nationwide referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant would take place on October 6th of this year.
Later, CEC member Sabila Mustafina reported that the budget for the nationwide referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan was planned to be 15.5 billion tenge.
This sum supposedly includes the organisation and conduct of the referendum at 78 overseas polling stations located in 63 countries.