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Kazakhstan

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Kazakhstan

President Nursultan Nazarbayev Prime Minister Karim Masimov Parliament Senate Majilis Political parties Elections Provinces (Oblystar) Human rights Foreign relations

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The politics of Kazakhstan takes place in the framework of a presidential republic, whereby the President of Kazakhstan is head of state and nominates the head of government. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the two chambers of parliament.

Contents 1 Political parties and elections 2 International organization participation 3 See also 4 External links

For other political parties see List of political parties in Kazakhstan. An overview on elections and election results is included in Elections in Kazakhstan.

Main article: Kazakhstan presidential election, 2005

On December 4, 2005, Nursultan Nazarbayev was reelected in a land-slide victory. The electoral commission announced that he had won over 90% of the vote. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) concluded the election did not meet international standards despite some improvements in the administration of the election. Xinhua News Agency reported that Chinese observers, responsible in overseeing 25 polling stations in Astana, found that voting in those polls was conducted in a "transparent and fair" manner.[1]

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Summary of the 4 December 2005 Kazakhstan presidential election results

Candidates and nominating parties	Votes	%
Nursultan Nazarbayev - Fatherland (Otan)	6,147,517	91.15
Zharmakhan Tuyakbay - Coalition for a Just Kazakhstan (Ediletti Kazakhstan Yuzhin)	445,934	6.61
Alikhan Baimenov - Democratic Party of Kazakhstan Bright Path (Qazaqstan Demokratiyalyk Partiyasi Ak Zhol)	108,730	1.61
Yerassyl Abylkassymov - People's Communist Party of Kazakhstan (Qazaqstan Kommunistik Khalkik Partiyasi)	23,252	0.34
Mels Yeleusizov - Tabigat (Nature) environmental movement	18,834	0.28
Total (turnout 76.8%)	6,744,267
Source: Embassy of Kazakhstan in the United Kingdom

Main article: Kazakhstan legislative election, 2004

Elections to the Majilis in September 2004 yielded a lower house dominated by the pro-government Otan party, headed by President Nazarbayev. Two other parties considered sympathetic to the president, including the agrarian-industrial bloc AIST and the Asar party, founded by President Nazarbayev’s daughter, won most of the remaining seats. Opposition parties, which were officially registered and competed in the elections, won a single seat during elections that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said fell short of international standards. There were 1,029 foreign observers of the 2004 legislative election in Kazakhstan, including more than 400 from the Commonwealth of Independent States, and more than 300 from the OSCE.[2]

S. Frederick Starr, chairman of the Central Asia and Caucasus Institute of the John’s Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and Daniel Witt, president of the Washington-based International Tax and Investment Center, observed the election. In a joint statement issued in Almaty on September 20, 2004 they said: "Overall, Kazakhstan’s third Majilis election was a step forward, notwithstanding the imperfections. Democracy is not a decoration in Kazakhstan, but a principle that is lively embraced and practiced by the people. Regardless of their individual poll outcomes, all parties have expressed their commitment post-election to keeping political reforms moving. The West must acknowledge this and continue to offer its assistance to all democratic forces in Kazakhstan."[3]

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Summary of the 19 September and 3 October 2004 Assembly of Kazakhstan election results

Parties and alliances	Votes	%	Seats
Fatherland (Otan)		60.6	42
Democratic Party of Kazakhstan Bright Path (Qazaqstan Demokratiyalyk Partiyasi Ak Zhol)		12.0	1
All Together (Asar)		11.4	4
Agrarian and Industrial Union of Workers Block Agrarian Party of Kazakhstan (Qazaqstan Agrarlyk Partiyasi) Civic Party of Kazakhstan (Qazaqstan Azamattlyk Partiyasi)		7.1	11
Opposition Union of Communists and DCK Block Communist Party of Kazakhstan (Qazaqstan Kommunistik Partiyasi) Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (Qazaqstannyn Demokratiyalyk Tandau)		3.4	-
People's Communist Party of Kazakhstan (Qazaqstan Khalyk Kommunistik Partiyasi)		2.0	-
Village Social Democratic Party (Auyl Sotsial-Demokratiyalyk Partiyasi)		1.7	-
Democratic Party (Demokratiyalyk Partiyasi)		0.8	1
Party of Patriots		0.6	-
Rukhaniyat Party		0.4	-
Non-partisans	-	.	18
Total (turnout %)			77

In 1999, Kazakhstan applied for observer status at the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly. The official response of the Assembly was that Kazakhstan could apply for full membership, because it is partially located in Europe, but that they would not be granted any status whatsoever at the Council until their democracy and human rights records improved.

AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (associate), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

• Government of Kazakhstan

• Will Kazakhstan Be Next? - On Political Developments in Kazakstan by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

• Central Asia Commerce