Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ASTANA1978
2008-10-06 11:40:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Astana
Cable title:
KAZAKHSTAN'S SENATE ELECTIONS BRING NO SURPRISES
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UNCLAS ASTANA 001978
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
STATE FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN'S SENATE ELECTIONS BRING NO SURPRISES
REF: ASTANA 1819 (NOTAL)
UNCLAS ASTANA 001978
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
STATE FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN'S SENATE ELECTIONS BRING NO SURPRISES
REF: ASTANA 1819 (NOTAL)
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (SBU) Kazakhstan's October 4 Senate elections passed with no
surprises, with a landslide victory for the ruling Nur Otan party.
Nur Otan-dominated regional and local maslikhats (legislatures)
voted into office sixteen senators, one from each of the fourteen
oblasts (regions) and the two largest cities, Astana and Almaty. As
civil society observers and opposition leaders predicted, all those
elected are from the ruling Nur Otan party (reftel). The Central
Election Commission (CEC) declared the contest fully valid and
released the preliminary results of the voting, although the formal
count will not be come out until October 13. Five of the sixteen
winners are incumbents, and the majority of the rest are
high-ranking local government officials. The sole "opposition"
candidate, a nominee from the Ak Zhol party (a party which is
shunned by the other opposition parties as the government's pocket
opposition),was not elected. As reported in reftel, the leading
opposition parties boycotted the elections, claiming that Nur Otan's
victory was all but assured.
3. (SBU) Despite an official media campaign aimed at raising the
profile of the elections, the contest itself passed with little
fanfare. While the government had invited international
organizations and foreign missions to observe, only CIS countries --
including Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Uzbekistan -- sent election
observers. In a press conference held on October 4, these observers
predictably declared the elections to be free, fair, and
transparent, and commended Kazakhstan for "getting closer to
European and international standards." The Public Committee for
Election Observation, a pro-government election observer NGO
allegedly established to balance the views of independent observers,
issued a similar press release, noting a significant improvement in
the administration of elections, and in the openness and
transparency of the CEC and lower-level election commissions. The
one weak point noted by the Committee was lack of proper media
coverage, a surprising observation considering the blitz campaign
organized by the CEC in the election run-up. The independent NGO
Republican Network of Independent Monitors also observed the
elections and told us on October 6 that its review will be ready by
next week. The leaders of the main opposition parties, having not
participated in the contest, also chose to stay silent on the
results.
HOAGLAND
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
STATE FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN'S SENATE ELECTIONS BRING NO SURPRISES
REF: ASTANA 1819 (NOTAL)
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (SBU) Kazakhstan's October 4 Senate elections passed with no
surprises, with a landslide victory for the ruling Nur Otan party.
Nur Otan-dominated regional and local maslikhats (legislatures)
voted into office sixteen senators, one from each of the fourteen
oblasts (regions) and the two largest cities, Astana and Almaty. As
civil society observers and opposition leaders predicted, all those
elected are from the ruling Nur Otan party (reftel). The Central
Election Commission (CEC) declared the contest fully valid and
released the preliminary results of the voting, although the formal
count will not be come out until October 13. Five of the sixteen
winners are incumbents, and the majority of the rest are
high-ranking local government officials. The sole "opposition"
candidate, a nominee from the Ak Zhol party (a party which is
shunned by the other opposition parties as the government's pocket
opposition),was not elected. As reported in reftel, the leading
opposition parties boycotted the elections, claiming that Nur Otan's
victory was all but assured.
3. (SBU) Despite an official media campaign aimed at raising the
profile of the elections, the contest itself passed with little
fanfare. While the government had invited international
organizations and foreign missions to observe, only CIS countries --
including Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Uzbekistan -- sent election
observers. In a press conference held on October 4, these observers
predictably declared the elections to be free, fair, and
transparent, and commended Kazakhstan for "getting closer to
European and international standards." The Public Committee for
Election Observation, a pro-government election observer NGO
allegedly established to balance the views of independent observers,
issued a similar press release, noting a significant improvement in
the administration of elections, and in the openness and
transparency of the CEC and lower-level election commissions. The
one weak point noted by the Committee was lack of proper media
coverage, a surprising observation considering the blitz campaign
organized by the CEC in the election run-up. The independent NGO
Republican Network of Independent Monitors also observed the
elections and told us on October 6 that its review will be ready by
next week. The leaders of the main opposition parties, having not
participated in the contest, also chose to stay silent on the
results.
HOAGLAND