Eduard Severin: Kazakhstan Rigorously Upholds the Rights of the Media and Observers

Eduard Severin, member of the Commission on Human Rights, National Relations and the Media of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belasrus, and part of the international CSTO PA group of observers, emphasized the strict protection of citizens’ rights and the transparency of the Kurultai elections.

"Despite the weather, voter turnout at the polling stations remains strong. As of now, more than 2.2 million Kazakhstani citizens have already cast their ballots. Given that voting is still ongoing, this is a very good indicator. The voting has been organized in full compliance with electoral law. It is important to underscore the significance of Kazakhstan’s recent institutional reforms and changes to its electoral legislation. The new mixed parliamentary system, blending single-member districts and party-list voting, opens up major opportunities for political parties, but also comes with great responsibility. Additionally, these reforms will now allow independent candidates to be represented in parliament. It should also be noted that the rights of observers and media in Kazakhstan are rigorously upheld," Eduard Severin emphasized.

As you may recall, the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly’s monitoring mission includes parliamentarians from the Organization’s Member States. In the course of their work, observers pay special attention to protection of electoral rights, media freedom and the compliance with internationally recognized democratic standards.