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Kazakhstan|politics|March 23, 2023 / 03:51 PM
Parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan introduce icreased choice to voters, with limitations on fundamental freedoms and participation remaining - international observers

AKIPRESS.COM - The early parliamentary elections on March 19 were held in the context of reforms introduced to bring Kazakhstan closer to holding elections in line with international standards and OSCE commitments, as legal amendments addressed several previous recommendations and provided increased choice for voters. However, limits on the exercise of fundamental freedoms remain, and some political groups continued to be prevented from participation as parties in elections. Further changes to the legal framework are needed to provide a sufficient basis for conducting democratic elections, the OSCE press service reported with reference to the international observers.

While the elections introduced elements of competitiveness to the political arena, diverse administrative obstacles negatively affected the equality of campaign opportunities for some self-nominated candidates, and the practice of deregistration created uncertainty for candidates over their continued participation in the contest.

"Kazakhstan will only achieve the stated political goal of democratic development if far reaching reforms continue. In particular, greater attention to protecting everyone's fundamental freedoms is needed. Most notably, the restrictive media space and limited campaign coverage did not match candidates' efforts to engage in a more dynamic contest," OSCE Special Co-ordinator and Leader of the short-term observers Irene Charalambides said.

Overall, contestants campaigned actively and freely. Party platforms and messages addressed a wide range of social and economic issues but were generally supportive of the president's reform agenda. The campaign was more dynamic and generated higher engagement in the majoritarian contests in the main cities, as well as online, with some self-nominated candidates offering alternative programmes.

Prior ODIHR recommendations related to fundamental freedoms of peaceful assembly, of expression and of the media have yet to be implemented. Undue administrative hurdles, broad discretionary powers during the party registration process and a lack of judicial remedy all remain of concern. Freedom of expression and the media, guaranteed by the Constitution, are undermined by a restrictive legal framework, which deters independent critical reporting and contributes to widespread self-censorship.

"Recently, the registration requirements for political parties were eased, partly addressing a previous ODIHR recommendation. Still, the fact that there are those who continue to be prevented from participating in elections as political parties remains of concern," said Eoghan Murphy, Head of the election observation mission from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

The electoral preparations were administered efficiently, and the Central Election Commission held regular live-streamed sessions and published its decisions promptly. However, the fact that outcomes were discussed in advance of formal sessions detracted from the transparency of the decision-making process.

While voting was organized in a smooth manner overall, significant procedural irregularities were observed during counting and tabulation and important safeguards were often disregarded, undermining the transparency of the process. Observers consistently noted discrepancies between the number of voters casting their ballots and the officially reported preliminary turnout figures.

Women remain underrepresented, and measures to promote women’s participation in public and political life are limited. Women made up 29% of the candidates in the proportional contest and 20% in the majoritarian ones. Gender issues did not notably feature in the campaign and, while a number of well-known women stood as self-nominated candidates, party attempts to promote prominent women candidates were limited.

Overall, the accreditation of citizen and international observers was inclusive, although meaningful observation was not always ensured, due to restrictions during the counting and tabulation processes.

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