Two exit polls indicated that about 87% of voters supported the constitutional rewrite, while turnout reached 73%, according to earlier data from the electoral commission.

The new constitution restructures parliament and reinstates the post of vice president, which had been abolished in 1996. Under the revised framework, the president would gain the authority to appoint the vice president as well as several other senior officials.

The rapid drafting of the document has prompted debate among political analysts in Kazakhstan about its potential political implications.

Some observers suggest Tokayev may be preparing to appoint a successor as vice president and step down early, while others argue the constitutional change could reset his presidential term limits.

Both the existing and the proposed constitutions restrict presidents to a single seven-year term, a provision introduced by Tokayev in 2022.After casting his vote in the capital, Astana, Tokayev said the next presidential election would take place in 2029 when his current term expires.

“Some experts suggest that competition for power in Kazakhstan is intensifying,” Tokayev said. “However, there are absolutely no grounds for worry that this will have a negative impact on society.”

Opposition to the constitutional overhaul appeared limited, with state-approved pollsters showing broad support for the changes. Since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Kazakhstan’s authorities have maintained tight control over political activity in the nation of about 20 million people.

In a rare public comment, former president Nursultan Nazarbayev, who ruled the country from 1991 to 2019, said he had voted in favour of the new constitution.

In a statement posted on his website, the 85-year-old said he had entrusted the presidency to Tokayev and continued to support that decision, expressing hope that the new constitution would benefit the country and its people.

Once Tokayev’s political patron, Nazarbayev was stripped of his remaining official roles after unrest in January 2022 in which hundreds were killed.

Tokayev has described the violence as a coup attempt involving elements of the security services loyal to the former leader, and several longtime Nazarbayev allies have since been imprisoned.

Thailand’s Office of the Ombudsman has petitioned the Constitutional Court of Thailand to review whether the barcodes placed on ballots during the February 8 election violated laws designed to guarantee the secrecy of the vote.

The election delivered a decisive victory to Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s Bhumjaithai Party, which secured at least 191 seats in the 500-member parliament.

However, the ombudsman said late on Friday that it had received 21 public complaints arguing that barcodes and QR codes printed on ballots might enable authorities to identify which party or candidate a voter supported.

The ombudsman said the presence of coded markings on ballots could potentially undermine the constitutional principle of secret voting. It asked the court to determine whether the system breached electoral laws governing ballot confidentiality.

Thailand’s Election Commission defended the measure, saying the barcodes were introduced solely for security and administrative purposes. Officials said linking a specific ballot to an individual voter would require access to the upper half of the ballot paper, which remains securely stored under controlled conditions.

Thailand’s constitutional framework places strong emphasis on ballot secrecy, and courts have intervened in the past when electoral procedures were deemed to violate that principle. The Constitutional Court annulled the country’s 2006 election after determining the voting process had not been conducted in a fully secret manner.

Despite the legal challenge, the Bhumjaithai Party has moved to form a governing alliance with the third-place Pheu Thai Party and several smaller political groups. The coalition would command more than 290 seats in parliament, providing a substantial majority and raising the prospect of a relatively stable administration following years of political volatility.

Lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene on Sunday to elect a new house speaker and two deputy speakers, the first step in forming a functioning parliament after the election.

Deputy Prime Minister Sophon Zaram, a veteran Bhumjaithai figure, told reporters on Thursday that the party has nominated him for the position of house speaker.

Once the speaker is chosen, the chamber is expected to schedule a parliamentary session to vote on the next prime minister. Bhumjaithai deputy leader Siripong Angkasakulkiat said the vote could take place as early as Thursday.

The developments come as Thailand moves to establish a new government following the February election while awaiting the Constitutional Court’s decision on whether the ballot design complied with electoral law.