Two Tajik observers to monitor parliamentary election in Kazakhstan

DUSHANBE, December 20, 2011, Asia-Plus -- Mahmadmurod Zoirov, member of the Central Commission fro Elections and Referenda (CCER) of Tajikistan and Mirzo Ashourov, a chief specialist with the CCER have been included on the list of international observers to monitor the upcoming parliamentary election in Kazakhstan, the CCER source told Asia-Plus today.

The parliamentary election will be held in Kazakhstan on January 15, 2012.  The election was held half a year early in order to allow the political establishment to concentrate on dealing with the global financial crisis earlier.

Kazakhstan’s Parliament has two chambers: the Assembly (Mazhilis), which has 77 seats, elected for a four year term, 67 in single seat constituencies and 10 by proportional representation; and the Senate, which has 47 members, 40 of whom are elected to six-year terms in double-seat constituencies by the local assemblies, half renewed every two years, and 7 presidential appointees. In addition, ex-presidents are ex-officio senators for life.

A total of eight political parties have registered for the upcoming parliamentary election in Kazakhstan on January 15.  President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s party, Nur Otan, currently the only political party represented in parliament, is expected to win by a wide margin.

In the last election, in 2007, Nur Otan won over 88 percent of the votes.  As no other party cleared the seven percent threshold to win seats, the Mazhilis, the lower chamber, became a one-party parliament. Nur Otan held 98 of the 107 seats.  The other deputies were chosen by the People’s Assembly.