Central Election Commission meeting was held on October 29

On October 29, 2020, a meeting of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan was held.

The meeting was attended by representatives of political parties, central government bodies, public associations for the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities, heads of universities that are partners of electoral training, territorial election commissions were in the videoconferencing mode, representatives of the media - online.

The following issues were considered at the meeting:

1) On organization of training for members of election commissions and other participants in the electoral process during the campaign for the election of deputies of the Mazhilis of Parliament and maslikhats of the Republic of Kazakhstan, scheduled for January 10, 2021.

2) On ensuring electoral rights of persons with disabilities at the regular elections of deputies of the Mazhilis of Parliament and Maslikhats of the Republic of Kazakhstan, scheduled for January 10, 2021.

Secretary of the Central Election Commission Sabila Mustafina spoke on the first issue of the agenda.

She said that in the inter-electoral period, activities of the CEC was concentrated in two directions:

1) increasing the level of professionalism of members of territorial election commissions working on a permanent professional basis through continuous electoral training.

2) development of educational and methodological complexes and training materials.

This year, within the Roadmap for electoral training, the CEC held 24 training events (lectures, workshops, trainings, webinars), encompassing more than 1000 people from various target categories of participants in the electoral process, both at the republican and regional levels.

The basis of the electoral education system was a cascade model of training of organizers of the electoral process at all levels of the electoral system: from the Central Election Commission at the republican level to the precinct election commission.

Educational and methodological complexes for various election campaigns, which were adopted in the training process and posted in the public domain on the CEC's Internet resource, as well as a distance learning and testing system (DLT) with the issuance of electronic certificates of the CEC, elaborated by order of the Central Election Commission on a professional basis were methodological basis for training.

In 2018, a distance learning format for members of election commissions was adopted as a separate area of training, and this is over 70 thousand people.

Before the elections, in September-October this year, a series of cluster training workshops were held in the regions, members and employees of the CEC administration were seconded for holding in-depth training of territorial election commissions.

The regions have formed step-by-step plans providing the training of subordinate commissions according to the cascade model on the recommendation of the Central Election Commission.

Taking into account the quarantine measures, training events in the upcoming campaign will be organized in remote format. Trained members of territorial election commissions train members of subordinate commissions using remote access.

A complex of remote videoconferencing workshops is planned, during which specific organizational aspects of the activities of election commissions by stages of the election campaign will be explained.

The CEC will also prepare a training video about the work of the organizers of elections on Election Day, which will be available on the CEC's website. Informational, explanatory and mobilization videos are being prepared to work with voters.

Sabila Mustafina noted that the electoral process unites various subjects and categories of participants: representatives of political parties, other public associations, non-profit organizations, proxies, observers, media representatives.

And all of them, being endowed with the corresponding rights and duties by the constitutional law on elections, shall fulfill their powers in strict observance of the electoral legislation.

According to the report, during this election campaign, the leaders of political parties attending CEC meetings are also showing interest in joint electoral training events for representatives of headquarters, assets, proxies and observers.

At the same time, in accordance with its status, the election commission is obliged to show impartiality and independence, not to give preference and not to be bound by the decisions of a political party or other public association.

In this regard, as a methodological support for training representatives of parties and public associations, all methodological and educational materials elaborated by the CEC within this election campaign and intended for various target audiences will be posted in the public domain - on the official Internet resource and telegram channel of the CEC.

The Declaration of Global Principles on Non-Party Observation and Election Monitoring by Civil Organizations, proclaimed at the United Nations on April 3, 2012, states that “civil society observing organizations undertake to provide effective training in terms of obligations, rules, regulations and observation procedures applied in national legislation..."

If public organizations unite for observation, then they assume responsibility for training this category of participants in the electoral process.

The main principle of training both organizers and other election participants is strict adherence to the law.

During the meeting, Chairman of the Central Election Commission Berik Imashev noted that electoral training is one of the important components of the electoral process of both the organizers of the elections and other participants in the electoral process. And the developed and implemented distance learning system for electoral participants is actively used in a pandemic.

Yerlan Dauylbayev, member of the Central Election Commission, spoke on the second issue of the meeting.

Y. Dauylbayev said that in order to implement the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in 2017 a Working Group was created under the Central Election Commission to ensure the electoral rights of persons with disabilities. To date, the composition of the working group has been updated, out of 15 members of the Working group, 9 are representatives of public associations of people with disabilities.

The Central Election Commission, in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, is systematically working to involve citizens with disabilities in public life.

Thus, by the resolution of the Central Election Commission dated November 29, 2018 "On Approval of Recommendations on the Formation of the Composition of Election Commissions in 2019", when making proposals on the composition of members of election commissions, political parties and other public associations are recommended to take into account the principles of meritocracy, continuity in work and renewal through the participation of youth in work of election commissions; observance of gender equality; nomination of persons with disabilities to election commissions.

When forming the composition of election commissions in January 2019, on the submission of public associations, 455 citizens with disabilities were elected as members of the commissions. Including 6 people - in regional, 12 - in city and district, 432 people - in precinct election commissions.

In 2018, for the first time, norms aimed at further ensuring of electoral rights of citizens with disabilities were introduced into the Constitutional Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Elections in the Republic of Kazakhstan".

The law provides that the precinct election commission shall take the necessary measures to implement the electoral rights of citizens with disabilities, while local executive bodies are obliged to assist election commissions in this area.

The innovation also implies that when equipping a polling station, conditions must be ensured for unhindered access to voters who are citizens with disabilities and voting in it.

In particular, the polling station should provide: tactile indicators, computer with a screen, as well as headphones for the blind, visually impaired and hearing impaired, a secret voting booth with a table with additional lighting, stencils, optical correction, etc.

In preparation for the upcoming election campaign in June, inventory count of all, for that period, 10,048 polling stations was carried out. The results revealed:

- 95.6% (9606) premises of polling stations are located on the first floors;

- 83.6% (8113) of polling stations have ramps at the entrance to the building. At the same time, 79.8% (6473) of them correspond to SNIPs.

- 72% (6889) of polling stations have handrails at the entrance to the building.

Only 37% (3597) of polling stations have tactile signs at the entrance to the building; 29% (2832) - in polling stations.

Availability of a special lift for wheelchair users is only in 4% or 372 polling stations.

In this regard, the CEC recommended that local executive bodies provide the necessary conditions:

- parking lots, railings, ramps, flooring, wide door openings, elevators, tactile signs, special means for secret voting, and others;

- at the polling stations where a significant number of deaf-blind and deaf voters are expected to participate in the voting, with the assistance of local executive bodies, public associations, sign language interpreters and tactile interpreters may be involved.

During election campaigns local executive bodies need to provide assistance to election commissions in using technical capabilities of libraries for the blind, correctional schools, public organizations of the disabled, which have special equipment (blind aid means), on which screen access computer programs are installed that convert text files into sound or tactile signals.

During the election campaign, the election commissions, based on information from local executive bodies on the number of voters with disabilities, take measures:

- on the preparation in audio format (on digital media) of information materials about the election campaign (time and place of voting, main election actions, necessary contact information, for example, telephone, address of election commissions), voting procedure, the procedure for filling out a ballot paper and carrying out other election procedures;

- on the production of information materials in the required amount about party lists, printed in an enlarged font, easy to read.

The Central Election Commission shall ensure production of information materials in an accessible format (including posters in large font, ballot templates for blind and visually impaired voters, audio and video clips with sign language translation and scrolling text, etc.) within the funds allocated for information support for the election of deputies to the Mazhilis Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Production of information materials in an accessible format during the elections of deputies of maslikhats shall be ensured by the relevant territorial election commission.

The media are encouraged to use sign language translation or subtitling on TV air of newscasts and thematic programs on the preparation and conduct of elections.

During the meeting, CEC Chairman Berik Imashev emphasized the relevance of the issue of ensuring participation of citizens with disabilities in political and public life, including their inclusion in party lists.

Currently, Memoranda of cooperation on the implementation of the electoral rights of citizens with disabilities are signed between the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan and public organizations: "Kazakhstan Confederation of Disabled People" Republican Public Association, "Kazakh Society of the Deaf" Republican Public Association, "Kazakh Society of the Blind" Public Association, "Association of Women with Disabilities "Shyrak" Public Association.

Lyazzat Kaltayeva, Chairperson of “Association of Women with Disabilities "Shyrak" Public Association, also spoke on the second issue on the agenda. In her speech L. Kaltayeva noted, "attention from the electoral system to the special needs of persons with disabilities has increased significantly. Over the past few years, as much has been done as has not been done before."

After the meeting, a briefing for the media took place, at which members of the CEC answered questions from the media.

Press service

Central Election Commission

of the Republic of Kazakhstan

tel. 75-21-03, 75-23-69

a.khusainova@election.gov.kz

v.zheksembekova@election.gov.kz

https://t.me/electionelection