Plan to extend Kazakh leader's rule denied

ASTANA, Kazakhstan - Kazakhstan's constitutional council on Monday rejected a referendum to extend President Nursultan Nazarbayev's rule until 2020, meaning the leader of Central Asia's largest economy is likely to stand for election in 2012.

"The constitutional council has ruled that the law does not comply with the constitution," said Igor Rogov, chairman of the council. Nazarbayev could appeal the decision within one month, Rogov said.

The president said in his annual state-of-the-nation address on Friday that the council would decide on the referendum and that he planned to stand for election in 2012 should the initiative be rejected.