IPA CIS Observers to Monitor Elections to Mazhilis of Parliament of Republic of Kazakhstan in CIS and Beyond

On 23 December 2020, a meeting of the IPA CIS observers and the representatives of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan was held via videoconferencing.

Opening the meeting, IPA CIS Council Secretary General Dmitriy Kobitskiy said that the IPA CIS international observers had begun long-term monitoring: an analysis of the electoral legislation had already been carried out, and materials on the progress of the election campaign were being prepared. From 7 to 12 January 2021, the observers will operate in Nur-Sultan and in the regions. On election day, the observation will also take place at foreign polling stations in Baku (Azerbaijan), Yerevan (Armenia), Minsk (Belarus), Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), St. Petersburg (Russia), Dushanbe (Tajikistan) and Berlin (Germany).

Furthermore, the CEC members informed the observers about the results of the nomination procedure. Chairperson of the CEC of the Republic of Kazakhstan Berik Imashev said that five political parties were successfully registered and one party refused to participate in the elections.

Deputy Head of the IPA CIS Council Secretariat – Director of the International Institute for Monitoring Democracy Development, Parliamentarianism and Suffrage Protection of Citizens of IPA CIS Member Nations (IPA CIS IIMDD) Ivan Mushket asked about the number and nature of complaints received by the CEC, local commissions and courts. The CEC Chairperson reported that the Commission received 70 appeals, many of which were not complaints, but requests to clarify the electoral legislation. Also, the Supreme Court received 29 applications to cancel the CEC resolution.

The meeting paid much attention to the measures to counter the spread of the coronavirus infection during the election process. According to Secretary of the CEC of the Republic of Kazakhstan Sabila Mustafina, the election organizers were guided by the relevant resolution of the Chief State Sanitary Doctor of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Nevertheless, more detailed recommendations were developed for each stage of the election campaign, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health. According to Sabila Mustafina, special precautions will be taken on voting day.

At the end of the meeting, Sabila Mustafina thanked the IPA CIS IIMDD for holding the annual competition “Electoral Systems of the World”. According to the CEC Secretary, the competition is very popular among Kazakhstani students.