Chairman of the CEC of the Republic of Kazakhstan met with a group of 

observers from the IPA CIS

On February 22, Nurlan Abdirov, Chairman of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan, met via videoconference with a group of observers from the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of State Parties to the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Nurlan Abdirov briefed IPA CIS observers on the main stages of the current electoral campaign for the election of Mazhilis members to the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which will be held under the updated legislation.

The CEC Chairman also informed the meeting participants about the results of the registration of party lists, the results of the draw, as well as the results of the registration of candidates for Mazhilis members to the Parliament, elected in single-mandate territorial constituencies.

In turn, head of the delegation, Secretary General of the IPA CIS, Dmitry Kobitsky, thanked for the meeting and noted that the formation of the Group of the IPA CIS Observers is currently ongoing. It is planned to include at least 50 people, including parliamentarians of the CIS member states, employees of the Secretariat of the IPA CIS Council and experts with professional knowledge in the field of electoral processes.

He also informed that Vagharshak Hakobyan, Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia on Regional and Eurasian Integration Issues, Head of the Armenia-Kazakhstan Parliamentary Friendship Group has been appointed coordinator of the IPA CIS Observer Group.

The head of the delegation assured that a group of international observers from the IPA CIS would monitor the preparation and conduct of early elections of Mazhilis members to the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the principles of political neutrality, impartiality, openness and non-interference in the electoral process.

Representatives of the IPA CIS also inquired about monitoring the coverage of the election campaign in the media, financing of elections, electoral education and ensuring the right of equality of participants in the election campaign.

All the questions raised by members of the Kazakhstani CEC were informatively answered.

Nurlan Abdirov, in turn, thanked the delegation for the constant participation in international election observation in Kazakhstan and noted that all the necessary conditions would be created for the full and effective work of the group of observers from the IPA CIS.

To date, 97 international observers from 11 states and 3 international organisations have been accredited.