Kazakh Citizens Abroad to Cast Vote on Sunday
ASTANA – Few days before the election day in Kazakhstan, Kazakh citizens will be able to cast their vote in 53 countries. The Astana Times spoke to Kazakh citizens residing abroad to learn about their stance regarding voting. According to the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Aibek Smadiyarov, on election day citizens of Kazakhstan will have…
Astana Hosts Strategic Initiatives Forum, Gathers Top Level Experts and Scholars
ASTANA – Kazakh capital Astana hosted a Strategic Initiatives Forum on Nov. 16 gathering top scholars and experts to discuss their vision of Kazakhstan’s future and the priority reforms for the next seven years. The four panel sessions were attended by the heads of state bodies, national companies, representatives of big businesses, public and political…
It Was Very Painful for Me as Almaty Native to See How Criminals Were Destroying City, Says President Tokayev Addressing January Unrest
ASTANA – The devaluation of the idea of justice and the mutual estrangement between the state and society were the main causes behind the January tragedy, said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during his Nov. 16 meeting with the public in Almaty, reported the presidential press service. The January tragedy refers to peaceful protests that broke out…
Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia Keen to Expand Cooperation
ASTANA – Saudi Arabia is keen to strengthen cooperation with Kazakhstan for the interests of both peoples, Yahya Ahmad D Okeish, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Kazakhstan, said in an interview with The Astana Times, a few hours after the diplomats’ meeting with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the Akorda on…
Kazakhstan’s Legendary Dos-Mukasan Band: A Story of Perseverance, Love and Friendship
ASTANA – Kazakh songs have a distinctive sound that warms people’s hearts. The songs of Dos-Mukasan, a famous Kazakh rock and pop music group from the 1970s, have that effect every time you listen to one of their songs. The Sept. 29 release of the movie that tells the band’s story, similar to “Bohemian Rhapsody,”…
Televised Presidential Debate in Kazakhstan Addresses Candidates’ Campaign Platforms
ASTANA – Five Kazakh presidential candidates and one representative of a candidate presented election programs in a Nov. 12 live televised debate at the Kazmedia Center in the capital. At the debate, Mazhilis Chair and Amanat Party Chair Yerlan Koshanov represented presidential candidate and incumbent President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Karakat Abden, Zhiguli Dairabayev, Nurlan Auesbayev, Saltanat…
Saltanat Tursynbekova: Presidential Candidate With a Strong Social Agenda and Commitment to Defend Rights and Interests of Underrepresented Groups
Editor’s note: As Kazakhstan heads to the presidential elections on Nov. 20, The Astana Times will contribute a series of articles in the format of reviews and interviews providing an outlook into the electoral programs of each of the candidates. ASTANA – Saltanat Tursynbekova is running for the office of the president in the upcoming…
ODIHR Publishes Interim Report on Elections in Kazakhstan
ASTANA – The Election Observation Mission (EOM) of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) published an interim report on Nov. 4 outlining their findings as the mission continues its work, just 12 days before the presidential elections in Kazakhstan. The mission began its work on Oct. 18 headed by Ambassador Urszula…
Constitutional Court in Kazakhstan to Ensure More Effective Protection of Human Rights
ASTANA – The Constitutional Court, which will start functioning on Jan. 1, 2023, will ensure the more effective protection of human rights in Kazakhstan as citizens will be able to appeal directly to the court, said Maulen Ashimbayev, speaker of the Senate, an upper chamber of the Kazakh Parliament. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed six laws…
Election Season in Kazakhstan to Сoncentrate on Social Obligations, Say Experts
ASTANA – As the election campaign period continues in Kazakhstan until Nov. 18, its focus is primarily on social obligations, said political expert Daniyar Ashimbayev. “Apparently, there is a certain set of explicitly populist slogans that the electoral headquarters have agreed not to bring up for discussions, such as credit amnesty and the privatization of…
President Tokayev Signs Constitutional Amendments into Law to Expand Human Rights Focus in State Policies
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed into law the constitutional amendments to re-establish the Constitutional Court and expand the powers of the country’s Human Rights Commissioner and the human rights focus of the Prosecutor General, among other laws, at a public ceremony on Nov. 5 at Akorda, reported the presidential press service. The six laws…
Civic Duty: Young People in Kazakhstan Ready to Cast Vote in November Presidential Elections
ASTANA – Ahead of the presidential elections in Kazakhstan scheduled for Nov. 20, the country’s youth is ready to head to the polls to vote for their new President. Though public opinion about the upcoming elections diverges, with people still questioning the need for an ahead-of-schedule election, casting a vote remains a civic duty for…
Experts Debate Political Transformation Processes in Kazakhstan
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s leading political scientists, public figures and scholars convened on Oct. 31 in Astana to discuss the ongoing political transformation in the country, reforms that aim to fulfill the Just Kazakhstan promise, reported the Kazakh Institute for Strategic Studies organizing an expert discussion. Welcoming the participants, Yerkin Tukumov, director of the institute, proposed…
Upcoming Presidential Elections in Kazakhstan Have Completely New Format, Says Head of ODIHR Observer Mission
ASTANA – The upcoming presidential elections in Kazakhstan, scheduled for Nov. 20, will be taking place in a completely new format, said the head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) observer mission Urszula Gacek in an Oct. 27 interview given to the Jibek…
Counting Down Weeks Until 2022 Presidential Elections in Kazakhstan
2022 has been an intense year for Kazakhstan. Beginning tragically as it did in January, the Nov. 20 presidential elections seem to be the year’s culmination in what officials are now describing as the “reset of the political system.” The public sentiment around the elections diverges. Some expect change for the better from the elections,…
IFC Commits to Deepening Support to Kazakhstan’s Sustainable Development and Private Sector Investments
ASTANA – Hela Cheikhrouhou, International Financial Corporation (IFC) Regional Vice President for the Middle East, Central Asia, Türkiye, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, reaffirmed the commitment to deepening IFC support to Kazakhstan towards sustainable development through increased private sector investments in her first visit to Kazakhstan on Oct. 3-4. In an interview with The Astana Times, Cheikhrouhou…
Policeman in Taldykorgan Accused of Torture with Hot Steam Iron Taken Into Custody as Trial Continues
ASTANA – The Zhetisu regional court in Taldykorgan came out with a decision on Oct. 20 to amend a punitive measure for policeman Aidyn Kenzhebayev, accused of torture with a hot steam iron against a detainee involved in the January unrest, from house arrest to detention, Asem Tusupova, a lawyer at the Qantar Center for…
Six Candidates to Compete for Country’s Highest Office in Kazakhstan’s November 20 Election
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Central Electoral Commission (CEC) registered six candidates to qualify for the country’s Nov. 20 presidential election. Registration closed Oct. 21 and six candidates, incumbent Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Meiram Kazhyken, Zhiguli Dairabayev, Karakat Abden, Saltanat Tursynbekova and Nurlan Auesbaev, will campaign until Nov. 18 for election to the country’s highest office. All presidential nominees…
Kazakhstan’s State Counselor Addresses Expert Forum in Astana on Political Transformation
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s State Counselor Erlan Karin addressed an expert forum on Oct. 18, titled Kazakhstan’s Political Transformation: Trends and Prospects, organized by the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies, reported the Akorda press service. Karin emphasized that the current electoral process stems from the constitutional reform initiated by the June 5 national referendum. He spoke…
Kazakh and Foreign Companies Sign $1.5 Billion in Deals at Investment Roundtable in Astana
ASTANA – Kazakh and foreign companies signed US$1.5 billion in agreements on Oct. 19 at the Kazakhstan Global Investment Roundtable that brought together over 500 participants, including government officials and top international executives, to explore investment prospects together. Agreements covered the fields of metallurgy, petrochemistry and gas processing, transport and logistics, production of building materials,…
Nearly $35 Billion Invested in Kazakhstan’s Transport Sector Over Last Five Years
ASTANA – Nearly $35 billion have been invested in Kazakhstan’s transport sector over the past five years, with 2,500 kilometers of new railways being built, said Deputy Chair of the Kazakh Transport Committee Kassym Tilepov at a plenary session during the fifth Kazakhstan Global Investment Roundtable on Oct. 19 in Astana. At a time when…
Kazakh Experts See Chance For Change in Upcoming Presidential Elections
ASTANA – Almost a month is left before the presidential elections in Kazakhstan, scheduled for Nov. 20. Experts and the public continue to debate the elections and the electoral process, with scholars generally agreeing on the growing need for change in the country, highly demanded by the public, and hoping that elections can bring about…
President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdymukhamedov Makes First State Visit to Kazakhstan
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev welcomed Turkmenistan’s President Serdar Berdymukhamedov during his state visit to Kazakhstan, marking the historic significance of the visit in the bilateral cooperation between the two countries, reported the presidential press service. Berdymukhamedov arrived on a state visit on Oct. 14 to attend the meeting of heads of the Commonwealth of…
CEC Withdraws Three Candidates from Registration for Presidential Elections in Kazakhstan, Cites Lack of Public Service Experience
ASTANA – Three candidates nominated to run in the presidential elections in Kazakhstan have been withdrawn from the registration by the Central Election Commission with all of them lacking the required experience in public service, the CEC announced on Oct. 13. Khayrulla Gabzhalilov, Talgat Yergaliyev, and Fatima Bizakova do not meet the requirements set out…
Five Candidates Register for November Presidental Elections in Kazakhstan, Seven More Pending CEC Approval
ASTANA – Five candidates have been registered by the Central Election Commission (CEC) to run for the presidential elections on Nov. 20, while verification and approval of seven more candidates are pending at the time of writing. The period for nomination of candidates closed on Oct. 11 at 6 p.m. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called for…
