Democracy News

Kazakh President Re-Elected In “Non-competitive” Election, Says OSCE
April 6, 2011
By: Carlos Aramayo and Randi Zung | Printer Friendly

On April 3, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev won re-election for a third time in a presidential poll that many in the international community have decried as fraudulent. According to the country's Central Election Commission, Nazarbayev achieved his latest landslide victory after receiving 95.5 percent of the vote. Nazarbayev’s three challengers each scored less than 3 percent. Western observers state that Nazarbayev has never won an election that has met international democratic standards. Nazarbayev called for an early election after he rejected parliament's vote for a referendum that would have extended his term until 2020.

In a statement, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said the election was “non-competitive” and was marked by “serious irregularities.” Although the OSCE’s observer mission did note improvements since the country’s last presidential election, it said that “the country still needs to make improvements to meet democratic commitments.” The poll’s identified shortcomings included: ballot box stuffing, lack of transparency during ballot counting, restrictions to freedom of assembly and media censorship. The New York Times reported that Kazakh state media outlets made no mention of the OSCE’s findings. In contrast to the OSCE’s evaluation, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that the observer mission from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe said that the vote reflected the will of the Kazakh people.

The Washington Post reported that the campaign leading up to the election was skewed in Nazarbayev’s favor, with none of the three rival candidates expressing criticism over Nazarbayev’s current policies or platform. It was also reported that one of the competing challengers voted for Nazarbayev, instead of voting for himself. The field of presidential candidates originally consisted of 22 challengers, but was later reduced to three after requirements for candidacy disqualified most of the presidential hopefuls. Commenting on the three challengers, Serikbai Alibaev – head of the Astana branch of the unregistered Nationwide Social Democratic Party – said, “The three were not serious, the other three are actors on a stage.”

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that Nazarbayev dismissed any allegations of fraud and told supporters that the wide margin of his victory proves his country is "unified -- all the nationalities, peoples, and religions of Kazakhstan." Nazarbayev – in office since Kazakhstan’s independence in 1991 – was granted the official title of "leader of the nation" by the Kazakh parliament in 2010. In 2007, the country’s constitution was amended to allow for Nazarbayev to run for an unlimited number of presidential terms, a right that is solely reserved for him alone.

For previous news on Kazakhstan, please see:
Kazakhstan Referendum Rejected; President Calls For Early Presidential Vote

Sources:
OSCE - Reforms necessary for holding democratic elections in Kazakhstan have yet to materialize, observers say

New York Times – Monitors Fault Voting in Kazakh Election

Washington Post – Kazakh president wins vote at home, but not among international observers