For the First Time, the CEC of Kazakhstan Visits the 

OSCE/ODIHR Headquarters

On May 19-20, 2025, during a working visit to the Republic of Poland, the Chairman of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nurlan Abdirov held a series of bilateral meetings with international partners on electoral process issues. Deputy Chairman of the CEC of Kazakhstan Mukhtar Yerman also participated in the events.

Meeting with the Leadership of the OSCE/ODIHR

For the first time, at the initiative of the CEC of Kazakhstan, a meeting was held with Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Maria Telalian at the ODIHR headquarters in Warsaw.

During the meeting with the Director of ODIHR, the Chairman of the CEC of Kazakhstan congratulated Maria Telalian on her recent appointment and wished her success in this important role.

Nurlan Abdirov emphasized that Kazakhstan traditionally places great importance on constructive dialogue with the OSCE/ODIHR and takes the final recommendations of its observation missions seriously:

“We systematically review the Bureau’s recommendations within the framework of the Expert Council under the CEC, with the participation of civil society representatives, including the Youth Voters Club and the Working Group on the Electoral Rights of Persons with Disabilities.”

The Head of the Central Election Commission emphasized that cooperation with OSCE/ODIHR provides an opportunity not only to observe elections in other countries, but also to take part in ODIHR’s long-term and short-term observation missions - an area in which Kazakhstan already has relevant experience. Moreover, it also enables participation in international conferences both in Kazakhstan and abroad, allowing us to remain at the forefront of electoral developments.

Nurlan Abdirov provided a detailed presentation on the transformation of Kazakhstan’s electoral system as part of the constitutional reform initiated by President K.K. Tokayev, noting that the innovations are based on public demand - an approach that drew particular interest from the ODIHR leadership.

In turn, OSCE/ODIHR Director Maria Telalian stated:

“First of all, I have to say that this visit was very useful one, and is proof that the Central Election Commission of Kazakhstan is seriously engaged in a very constructive dialogue with ODIHR regarding election observation. I believe that this discussion also proves the CEC’s willingness to continue this cooperation in the future. And we can see that there is a room for such cooperation progress.”

Meeting with the Chairperson of the National Electoral Commission of Poland

Nurlan Abdirov also held a meeting with the Chairperson of the National Electoral Commission of the Republic of Poland Sylwester Marciniak.

During the meeting, the Chairman of the CEC of Kazakhstan congratulated his Polish counterpart on the conduct of the first round of the presidential election held on May 18, 2025.

Particular attention was given to the topic of combating disinformation and deepfakes in electoral campaigns. Nurlan Abdirov expressed interest in exchanging experiences and emphasized the importance of developing resilient mechanisms to counter the modern challenges of the digital environment.

The two sides discussed opportunities for expanding bilateral cooperation, including the organization of expert consultations on pressing electoral issues.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Kazakh delegation presented their Polish colleagues with academic publications prepared by the CEC of Kazakhstan, including English-language editions - the monograph "The Central Election Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan - 30 Years. Transformation of the Electoral System of the Republic of Kazakhstan” and the Proceedings of the International Conference “Constitutional Reform and Electoral System.”

The Chairman of the Central Election Commission of Kazakhstan also took part in the press conference of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission for the presidential elections in Poland.