Central Election Commission Announces Preliminary Election Results: Six Parties Elected to Parliament
ASTANA – Six parties have been elected to the Mazhilis, the lower chamber of the Kazakh parliament, according to the preliminary results announced by the Central Election Commission on March 20. Six out of the seven parties that participated in the election received enough votes to pass the required five percent threshold to gain seats…
Voters Abroad: Expectations of Kazakhs from New Parliament
ASTANA – Kazakh citizens abroad had the opportunity to vote in Kazkahstan’s parliamentary election at 77 polling stations opened by diplomatic missions of Kazakhstan in 62 countries. Members of election commissions noted active participation in the election. The Astana Times interviewed voters in various capitals of the world to get their thoughts on the election…
Kazakh Minister Addresses Security Issues of Caspian Region at Baku Forum
ASTANA – Kazakh Minister of Information and Social Development Darkhan Kydyrali participated in the 10th edition of the Global Baku Forum, which took place on March 9-11 in Azerbaijan, reported the ministry’s press service. Among several issues he singled out were ecological challenges of the Caspian Sea. “The Caspian Sea is a unique body of…
Foreign Observers Assess Kazakhstan’s Election as Transparent and Democratic
ASTANA – Foreign observers praised the well-organized process of Kazakhstan’s parliamentary election on March 19, high voter turnout, and people’s freedom of expression at a press conference in Astana on March 20. According to Sadi Jafarov, Deputy Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States, the organization’s mission witnessed thorough preparations to safeguard people’s will.…
UNICEF: Kazakhstan’s Repatriation Program Serves as Model for Other Countries
ASTANA – Kazakhstan set an example for other countries in the region facing similar challenges by being one of the first to repatriate its women and children from Syria and Iraq and effectively reintegrate them into society, said United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) representative Arthur van Diesen at a March 16 conference dedicated to the…
Kazakhstan’s Top Seed Climbs to 7th Spot in WTA Tour’s Singles Ranking
ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s tennis player Elena Rybakina clinched her first triumph at a Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 1000 tournament and climbed from tenth to seventh in the singles ranking, Kazakhstan Tennis Federation’s press service announced on March 20. Rybakina beat Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka in five tries with a 7-6 (13-11) 6-4 victory at the Indian…
Amanat Party Leads in Kazakh Parliamentary Election, According to Three Exit Polls
ASTANA – Amanat party is leading in the parliamentary election, according to exit polls conducted by three public institutions. The results were announced live after midnight on March 20 during the Sailau 2023 TV marathon. The exit poll conducted by the Institute of Eurasian Integration shows the Amanat party receiving 53.46 percent of the vote,…
Almost 42 Percent Voter Turnout Abroad in Kazakhstan’s Parliamentary Election as Voting Continues
ASTANA – Voter turnout abroad has reached 41.8 percent as of 7 p.m. Astana time, representing more than 5,071 people out of 12,016 registered voters, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Roman Vassilenko said during an evening briefing at the Central Election Commission. Kazakh citizens can cast their ballot at 77 polling stations opened in the…
Voter Turnout for Parliamentary Election in Kazakhstan Hits 53.11 Percent
ASTANA — Voter turnout in Kazakhstan’s parliamentary election reached 53.11 percent as of 6 p.m. local Astana time, Central Election Commission (CEC) member Shavkat Otemisov announced at a press briefing today. 6,390,046 out of 12,032,550 eligible voters have cast their ballot in 10,223 polling stations across Kazakhstan. The Kyzylorda Region has the highest voter turnout,…
Kazakh Voters Show High Engagement and Best Outfits on Election Day
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. 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…
Parliamentary Election Receives Broader Public Attention, Say Kazakh Voters
ASTANA — Kazakh citizens across the country who went to the polls in today’s parliamentary election to exercise their constitutional duty and civic right underlined broader public interest and increased participation, expressing hope about the election. Assel Akhmetzhanova, 28, from the capital Astana, cast her vote early in the morning. She said she was surprised…
Top Kazakh Officials Cast Their Ballots in Parliamentary Election
ASTANA – Top government officials have cast their vote early in the morning in the March 19 parliamentary election to the Mazhilis and the maslikhats, including Senate Chairman Maulen Ashimbayev, Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov, and State Counselor Erlan Karin. Maulen Ashimbayev, chairman of the Senate, the upper house of the Parliament, also commented on the…
Foreign Ministry Says Overseas Voting in Kazakhstan’s Parliamentary Election Began
ASTANA – Kazakh citizens can cast their ballot at 77 polling stations opened in Kazakhstan’s diplomatic missions in 62 countries on election day today, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Roman Vassilenko said during an early morning briefing at the Central Communications Center on March 19. Kazakhstan is holding parliamentary elections for the Mazhilis, the lower…
Kazakh President Tokayev, Top Officials Vote in Parliamentary Election
ASTANA – President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev cast his vote in the parliamentary election to the Mazhilis, the lower chamber of the Parliament, and the maslikhats, local representative bodies, which began on March 19 in the country, the Akorda press service reported. The President was among the first who voted at the polling station in…
Voting in Parliamentary and Local Elections Begins in Kazakhstan
ASTANA – Parliamentary election for the Mazhilis, the lower house of parliament, and maslikhats, local representative bodies, kicked off across Kazakhstan on March 19. More than 12 million people are eligible to vote today. According to the Central Election Commission (CEC), 10,233 polling stations are operating in 17 regions and three cities of national significance…
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Meets with Kazakh President, Praises Reforms
ASTANA – The protection of human rights should be an integral part of the country’s reforms, said the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, during his March 17 meeting with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, reported the Akorda press service. Türk’s visit to Kazakhstan on March 16-17 follows his trip to Uzbekistan…
Skytrax World Airport Awards Recognizes Astana Airport as Region’s Top Facility
ASTANA – For the second year in a row, the capital’s airport has been selected as the top regional airport in Central Asia and the Commonwealth of Independent States(CIS) by the World Airport Awards, reported the Kazakh Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development’s press service on March 16. The World Airport Awards were presented at…
Kazakh President Outlines Key Directions for Cooperation at Organization of Turkic States Summit
ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev outlined key areas of cooperation, including in emergency management, during the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) Extraordinary Summit in Ankara on March 16, the Akorda press service reported. According to President Tokayev, the first step is to join efforts to avert natural disasters, citing the earthquake in Türkiye as evidence…
Kazakh President Meets President Erdoğan to Reiterate Bilateral Relations During Working Visit to Türkiye
ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara as part of his working visit to Türkiye on March 16, the Akorda press service reported. Tokayev also took part in an extraordinary summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). Tokayev extended his condolences to the families and friends of…
President Tokayev’s Reforms Stimulate Civic Activity and Participation in Decision-Making, Says State Counselor Karin
ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s reforms heralded the beginning of the renewal of the system of social values, revived civic engagement, and fostered citizens’ participation in the country’s fundamental transformation process, wrote State Counselor Erlan Karin on his Telegram channel on March 16. President Tokayev presented a comprehensive reform program a year ago, resulting in…
Kazakhstan Underlines Importance of Regional Counter-Narcotics Initiatives and Cooperation With Austria
ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s First Deputy Foreign Minister Kairat Umarov stressed the importance of regional initiatives amid growing global and regional instability at the opening of the 66th session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) on March 13 in Austria’s capital Vienna, reported the Foreign Ministry’s press service. One such initiative is the…
Kazakhstan Ranks in Top Five in 2023 World Para Nordic Skiing Championship
ASTANA — Kazakhstan team made it to the top five with 3,944 points scored in the para biathlon, and cross-country skiing competitions at 2023 World Para Nordic Skiing Championships, the Kazakh Culture and Sports Ministry’s press service reported on March 15. The team won 13 medals, including two gold, five silver, and six bronze. Yerbol…
Kashagan to Ship 7,000 Tons of Oil Through Aktau Seaport to Baku
ASTANA – The KazTransOil oil transportation company plans a test shipment of 7,000 tons of oil from the Kashagan oil field through Aktau seaport to Baku port this month, reported the company’s press service on March 10. The oil shipper is INPEX North Caspian Sea, which has been participating in developing the Kashagan oil field…
Kazakh PM Instructs to Remove Barriers, Facilitate Cargo Transportation from China
ASTANA – Kazakh Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov urged the government to remove transportation barriers within three days and ease the passage of trucks through checkpoints on the Kazakh-Chinese border at a March 14 government meeting, reported the Prime Minister’s press service. Following the lifting of the restrictions from the Chinese side, the volume of cargo…
Kazakhstan to Send Third Batch of Oil to Germany via Druzhba Pipeline in April
ASTANA – The KazTransOil oil transportation company plans to send another 20,000 tons of oil to Germany via the Druzhba oil pipeline in April, said Kazakh Energy Minister Bolat Akchulakov on the sidelines of the March 14 government meeting, reported Kazinform. According to Akchulakov, Kazakhstan transported two batches of oil totaling 40,000 tons in February…
