New observers accredited for the Kurultai elections
Tengrinews.kz — New international observers have joined the mission monitoring the elections for deputies of the Kurultai in Kazakhstan. This was announced by Mukhtar Yerman, Deputy Chairman of the Central Election Commission.
As of July 21, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has submitted 10 candidates from four foreign nations for accreditation.
These include:
Pakistan – 2 candidates;
Indonesia – 4 candidates ((including the Indonesian Ambassador to Kazakhstan);Malaysia – 3 candidates (including the Malaysian Ambassador to Kazakhstan);Uzbekistan – 1 candidate.
CEC members have accredited the proposed candidates.
CEC Data
Consequently, the total number of international observers accredited by the CEC now stands at 86.
Who has already been accredited
Previously, 76 candidates had been submitted for accreditation, including:had been submitted for accreditation..
These include:
4 observers from the CIS Observation Mission;19 observers from the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States;32 observers from the OSCE/ODIHR Mission;2 representatives from the Republic of Maldives, including the deputy chair of the country’s election commission;the Ambassador of Palestine to Kazakhstan, who serves as the head of the diplomatic corps accredited in Astana;the Ambassador of Venezuela to Kazakhstan;the Chargé d'Affaires of Hungary in Kazakhstan;2 observers from Georgia, including the Chairman of the Georgian CEC, Giorgi Kalandarishvili;Iran – 2 representatives, including the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Iran to Kazakhstan, Ali Akbar Jokar;Sweden – 2 representatives, including the Swedish Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Stefan Eriksson;Kyrgyzstan – 2 observers;
Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – 1 candidate: Polish Senator Kazimierz Kleina;Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization – 6 candidates, including the Assembly's Executive Secretary, Sergey Pospelov;OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights – 1 observer.
On July 1, a new Constitution came into force in Kazakhstan. Concurrently, the Mazhilis and Senate ceased operations, and their deputies' terms ended. Under the new Constitution, a unicameral parliament—the Kurultai—will operate instead of the bicameral legislature.
Elections for deputies of the new legislative body are scheduled for August 23. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed the corresponding decree. Seven political parties have been cleared to run.
Previously, the Central Election Commission approved the main stages of the election campaign for the Kurultai.