On December 29, 2010, the bicameral Kazakhstan Parliament agreed to hold a referendum proposing to bypass the next two presidential elections and extend President Nursultan Nazarbayev's reign until 2020. In June 2010, Nazarbayev had refused to sign a law that would have granted him presidential powers for life — even if he were no longer president — despite the law passing the upper and lower houses of Parliament. Supporters have espoused executive consolidation for Nazarbayev, pointing to his record as a nation-builder and only leader of the country following its independence from the Soviet Union. In February 2011, the Parliament approved amendments to hold elections in 2012, which Nazarbayev overwhelmingly won.


Emblem of Kazakhstan

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