Kazakhstan prepares for Senate elections

ALMATY – The 52 candidates competing for 16 Senate seats have started campaigning for the August 19 election.

The election campaign lasts until August 17. Candidate registration for the 16 seats began June 30 and ended July 29. One senator from each of 14 regions and from the cities of Astana and Almaty will be elected.

Competition for some seats

Kazakhstan had 96 would-be candidates June 16, 15 of whom were party nominated and 81 were self nominated, the Central Election Commission (CEC) reported. In the end only 52 candidates registered.

“This year we saw more nominees than in the 2005 and 2008 Senate elections, and this can only be a good thing,” said CEC Deputy Chairman Vladimir Foos.

In 2005 and 2008, respectively, 47 and 50 candidates ran.

“People are showing an interest in the elections, and this is tied to the on-the-spot work of the media, which is providing timely coverage … and the increased political activity of the citizens,” Foos said.

Kyzylorda Oblast boasts the most candidates at five, said CEC Secretary Bahyt Meldeshev. Atyrau, West-Kazakhstan and South-Kazakhstan oblasts and Almaty all had four candidates.

Nur Otan, the ruling party, has 28 candidates, 13 candidates are independent and eight have not specified their affiliation.

Campaigning goes off without a hitch

“In general, election preparations are proceeding calmly,” Meldeshev said. “All the arrangements are on schedule and comply with election law.”

During the registration window, the CEC received two complaints that candidates from North-Kazakhstan Oblast had allegedly violated registration regulations, but it could not confirm those claims, Meldeshev said.

“We … found no evidence of the violations, and we promptly informed the claimants about this,” Meldeshev said.

The CEC extended the candidate registration window to August 5 for Aktobe Oblast because it did not have at least two candidates. By law, it can extend the window for up to 20 days in such a case.

Maslikhats elect senators Senatorial elections are indirect. An electoral college formed of maslikhats (local representative bodies) elects the senators.

“Although the maslikhats – not the citizens directly – elect the senators, it would be wrong to say that the people have nothing to do with the elections,” said Marat Sarsenbayev of the CEC. “After all, the senators are elected by maslikhat deputies, whom the citizens elected directly.”

Dosym Satpayev, director of the Risk Assessment Group and a prominent politician, said, “Traditionally, the Senate elections take place in peace and quiet” because of the indirect vote.

Campaign budget raised The government allocated 142m KZT (US $970,000) to hold the elections. It also allotted 477,000 KZT (US $3,258) to each candidate for campaign and transportation costs – twice as much as in 2008.

Candidates can also use their own campaign funds. “The candidates generally direct their campaigns at us, their electors,” said Almaty Majilis deputy Dmitry Petruhin. “They set up meetings and roundtables … and tell us about their campaign platform.”

But candidates can campaign publicly. Each candidate can buy broadcast time or print-media space for a 15-minuted televised speech, a 10-minute radio speech or two articles in print, which cannot exceed one-tenth of a printed page in length.

Candidates mostly use leaflets and flyers for campaigning, Zhanna Asanova, chairman of Almaty’s City Election Committee, said.

“This is particularly so for Kazakhstan’s more remote oblasts,” she said. “Almaty and Astana candidates are more active on television and in the newspapers.”

Even though the elections are indirect, candidates must not under-estimate the need to campaign, Senator Ahan Bezhanov, who is up for re-election, said.

“We must work with the voters and know them personally,” Bezhanov said. “I have a schedule for meetings, roundtables and other activities that I am doing as part of my election campaign.”

International observers

The CEC has accredited eight CIS observers and is not expecting many foreign observers.

“International organisations, particularly the OSCE, traditionally show little interest in the Senate elections because they are indirect,” Foos said. “There is still time before the elections, and I think that list of observers will grow longer.”

Senate terms are six years. The body has 47 senators, 32 of whom run in indirect elections and 15 whom the president appoints. Of the 32 indirect-election seats, 16 are up for election every three years. The term of the 15 presidential appointees ends with the next election, three years from now.