Maulen Ashimbaev: Major Political Reforms Took Place in Kazakhstan Before Parliamentary Elections

IPA CIS Observer Team Coordinator, Chair of the Committee of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on Agriculture and Food Policy and Environmental Management Alexei Mayorov and Secretary General of the IPA CIS Council Dmitriy Kobitskiy discussed the course of the campaigning for the elections to the lower chamber of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan with Speaker of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan Maulen Ashimbayev.

Maulen Ashimbayev expressed gratitude to international observers for responding to the invitation and coming to Kazakhstan to monitor the electoral process. The Speaker of the Senate stressed that all the necessary measures were being taken in Kazakhstan to ensure that the elections were held in accordance with international regulations.

The Speaker noted that significant changes had been introduced into the legislation of Kazakhstan the previous year, which made it possible to raise the efficiency of the electoral process. A 30% quota was introduced in party lists for women and the youth, the status of the parliamentary opposition was legitimized, the procedure for registering political parties was simplified (now it requires half as many of the voters’ signatures), voting by lists was introduced for the elections to the local authorities, which motivated political parties to be more active locally.

The participants of the meeting expressed their hope that the parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan would be held at a high level, in a democratic and transparent atmosphere.