ASTANA – The first international observers who shared their opinions on the voting day in Kazakhstan reported that they had not detected any significant violations. According to them, parliamentary and local elections process follows all corresponding procedures and the Central Asian country’s electoral administration works properly. Today around 1,000 international observers and media monitor the election process.
“We have observed no violations of the Constitutional Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan ‘On Elections in the Republic of Kazakhstan’. The Central Electoral Commission created all conditions for the representatives of international organisations, local observers and media representatives. [We believe that] the elections are transparent and democratic,” said international observer Abdulgaffor Aziz from Tajikistan.
International Observer from Tajikistan Abdulgaffor Aziz
He noted that the people in Kazakhstan understand the responsibility of voting in elections, saying, “We had an opportunity to talkto voters. People are happy to take part in the elections and believe their participation and casting a vote for their candidates is a right decision. They realise that it is the choice, made for the future and for the development of Kazakhstan. It is the voice for the prosperity of your country.”
“We had an opportunity to get acquainted with the representatives of political parties in Kazakhstan. I can say that the parties very actively take part in the elections. Today I started to monitor the elections at 6:50, visiting a polling station No. 257 in Astana. The Central Electoral Commission operates very well,” Aziz added.
The observers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) noted the active participation of Kazakh citizens at the polling stations.
“Today we have seen how citizens of Kazakhstan were coming to polling stations to perform their civic responsibility,” Member of the International Affairs Committee of the Federation Council of Russia and a representative of the mission of observers from the SCO Igor Morozov said.
The SCO observer also noted that all polling stations are prepared in accordance with international standards.
Coordinator of Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States Valekh Aleskerov
“All standards, which are necessary for transparent and open elections, are complied with. We decided to meet with the Chairman of the Central Electoral Commission and discuss the election process. We have come to a common understanding that this active participation is the result of hard work, which was made to ensure that Kazakhstan citizens went to polling stations and voted for a party, which suits their political views,” said Morozov.
Coordinator of Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States Valekh Aleskerov said he has personally visited two polling stations in the early morning and specially came to check the status of the stations before the vote: readiness of equipment and employees.
“My impressions are positive. Everything was correct. I was pleasantly surprised that even before the start of voting there were a lot of people at the polling station doors. And the number of voters increased. Other members of our mission in Astana, Almaty and other regions of Kazakhstan carried out the same monitoring,” Aleskerov said.
Today 9,840 voting stations in Kazakhstan and 65 polling stations abroad started to operate,
It is expected that over nine million people will vote.
“Today the voting stations began their work at 7 a.m. Moreover, the elections of deputies to regional and districts and cities’ maslikhats are being held,” member of the Central Election Commission of Kazakhstan Lyazzat Suleimen said.
She also noted that the elections will be held from 7 a.m. till 8 p.m. today while the nine deputies Mazhilis from the People’s Assembly of Kazakhstan will be elected on March 21.
The Central Election Commission has registered six lists of political parties which include 234 candidates to the Mazhilis deputies’ seats. Nur Otan, Ak Zhol, the Communist People’s Party, Auyl, Birlik as well as Nationwide Social and Democratic Party compete for the seats in the Kazakh Parliament’s lower chamber.
