State of Democracy in Kazakhstan – World Countries for Kids
Presidential and parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan are neither free nor fair, and authorities have unswervingly marginalized or imprisoned genuine opposition leaders. The dominant media outlets are either owned by government-friendly businessmen or are directly in state hands. Freedoms of speech and assembly remain curtailed, and corruption is endemic.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who openly defied key ally Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, secured a second term in snap election held on 20th November 2022 getting 81.31% of the vote, the central Asian nation’s electoral commission said on 21st November 2022. He was very much expected to extend his rule over the oil-rich country by seven more years, with a solid mandate to continue his increasingly free foreign policy, as the former Soviet republic navigates the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
Voter turnout in Kazakhstan’s snap election was high 69.44%, with five other contenders scoring in the low single digits, data showed. Point to be noted is that voters’ second most popular choice was “against everyone”, with 5.8% of ballots. Observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said the vote highlighted the need for further legal reforms to guarantee genuine pluralism. “The incumbent stood as the joint candidate of all parliamentary parties and, in effect, was not meaningfully challenged in a low-key campaign,” said the mission. Kazakhstan’s foreign ministry said that the statement by the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights “lacks objectivity and puts in question the effectiveness of the ODIHR as an important institution”.
Several fellow central Asian leaders congratulated Tokayev even before the preliminary results, prompted by the exit polls. Congratulations from Moscow and Beijing came by after the official announcement. The European Union said it would keep working with Kazakhstan under their Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement and support a roll-out of vital reforms to enable “a fully transparent and competitive political environment as key steps towards a new democratic and fair Kazakhstan”.
Early parliamentary elections were held on 19th March 2023. These elections were held in the backdrop of reforms introduced to bring Kazakhstan closer to conducting elections in line with international standards. Legal amendments addressed many previous recommendations and provided increased choice for voters. Nevertheless, limits on the exercise of fundamental freedoms still remain, and some political groups continued to be prohibited from participation as parties in elections. Further changes to the legal framework are desirable to provide a sufficient basis for carrying out democratic elections, the international observers said in a statement released on 20th March 2023.