ASTANA – As the parliamentary election continues nationwide, voters in the country’s regions are exercising their constitutional rights at an increasingly higher rate than those in big cities.
Voters arriving on camels in Taldykorgan city. Photo credit: gurk.kz.
According to the latest data from the Central Election Commission (at 4:30 p.m.), the highest voter turnouts are in the Kyzylorda Region at 64.95 percent, Kostanai Region at 64.81 percent, East Kazakhstan Region – 63.09 percent, and Zhambyl Region – 64.78 percent. These numbers are significantly higher in comparison to the country’s largest city Almaty, where the voter turnout is currently at 19.14 percent, lowest in the nation.
For some citizens, an opportunity to vote was also an opportunity to dress up in peculiar outfits.
Dressed in national clothes, several residents of Taldykorgan city in the south-east of the nation arrived at their polling station on camels, reported Kazinform. They wanted to remind fellow citizens of the upcoming Nauryz holiday next week.
One of the residents is Ulan Baizakov, 35, who has been breeding camels for 15 years. He usually walks with a camel in city parks and squares, takes children for a ride on the animal and organizes photo shoots on weekends and holidays. The money he earns goes towards food and medical bills for the camel.
Semei resident dressed as Kydyr ata. Photo credit: inform.kz.
As of 4:30 p.m., the voter turnout in the Zhetisu Region stands at 54.82 percent.
Kairat Sadu from the city of Semei in the Abai Region, which has so far recorded a 55.23 percent voter turnout, showed up at a polling station wearing the costume of Kydyr ata, a mythical gray-bearded man who, according to a legend, walks around homes and makes dreams come true.
Konaev resident dressed as a snow leopard. Photo credit: inform.kz.
City residents in Almaty, as well as in the Turkistan and Pavlodar regions, have been greeted at polling stations with songs and food.
The voter turnout in the Almaty Region is significantly higher than in the city of Almaty – 59.45 percent. Nurbek Ormanov, a resident of Konaev city, came to vote at the polling station dressed as a snow leopard, a symbol of the city.
“We are young people who can make a bright contribution to the future of our country by working hard. I am wearing this costume because I wanted to give a new look to today’s elections and show high respect for our city through our symbol,” he said.
