OSCE Criticizes Kazakh Elections

Observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe declared that the recent presidential election in Kazakhstan, which the incumbent President Nursultan Nazarbayev won with 95.5 per cent of the votes, had not been compliant with organization’s democratic standards. According to the OSCE statement, the vote revealed shortcomings similar to those noted in previous elections in the country, and the reforms necessary for holding genuine democratic elections have yet to materialize. While the election was technically well administered, the absence of opposition candidates and of a vibrant political discourse resulted in a non-competitive environment. A limited field of candidates did not seek to challenge the incumbent. Despite efforts by the authorities to improve the election legislation, there remain shortcomings inconsistent with OSCE commitments.The candidate registration process was marked by lack of transparency and clear rules for verifying supporting signatures and for evaluating the mandatory Kazakh language test, the OSCE statement concludes. http://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/76349