Kazakhstan’s Constitution identifies free elections as a fundamental principle. In the most recently held elections democracy was the real vector. The holy concept of “free choice” dominated the presidential election and ultimately people’s choice won the elections. It was transparent, free and fair and met with all the legislative norms and international standards. With the successful holding of presidential election transit period has been exhausted and Kazakhstan is on the path of further politicization and democratization.
Incumbent President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev won the elections by receiving 70.96 percent of the vote (6,539,715 votes). He has also taken oath of presidency. Whereas, Zhambyl Akhmetbekov of the Communist People’s Party of Kazakhstan received 1.82 percent (167,649) and Sadybek Tugel of the Uly Dala Kyrandary (Eagles of the Great Steppe) Public Association received 0.92 percent (84,582).
Kazakhstan’s Election Commission (2019)
According to Kazakhstan’s Election Commission (2019), voter turnout was 77.5 percent, with 9,274,466 of the 11,960,364 eligible voters voted. Turnout was 89 percent in the Almaty Region, 84.9 percent in the Aktobe Region, 84.9 percent in the East Kazakhstan Region, 84.1 in the Kostanai Region, 83.4 percent in the Akmola Region, 81.6 percent in the Kyzylorda Region, 81.3 percent in the Zhambyl Region, 81.2 percent in the Pavlodar Region, 79.8 percent in the North Kazakhstan Region, 77.3 percent in the Karaganda Region, 71.2 percent in the Atyrau Region, 68.9 percent in the Mangystau Region, 68.9 percent in Nur-Sultan, 67.6 percent in Shymkent, 66.3 percent in the West Kazakhstan Region and 52.2 percent in Almaty.
While taking oath as new president of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev he has also outlined his priorities which are given below as:-
President’s Ten Directions
After taking oath the president briefed about his campaign platform’s implementation plan in ten directions which are highlighted in the above given diagram. “The destabilisation of international financial markets and devaluation of the tenge negatively affected the income of the population. More than a million citizens were forced to take a loan from the bank. The gap between the wealthy and the low-income citizens is one of the most pressing problems in Kazakhstan. Of course, such phenomena exist all over the world, but we cannot ignore them,” he said. “Citizens need to have economic growth in their own country to live in peace, to work hard, to bring up their children, and to be proud of our nation’s accomplishments.”
Corruption is a disease that hinders the states’ development. A phenomenon threatens the mutual trust in society and the security of our nation as a whole,” he noted. “A Judge is a guarantee of rule of law. Therefore, judges must meet high professional and moral requirements It is necessary to tighten the judges and candidates appraisal and evaluation system. The main task of the law enforcement system is to gain public confidence,” said Tokayev. The fourth direction is to open new jobs and provide people with decent wages. Fair distribution of national income is “strategically important.” The fifth direction is to create affordable housing for different categories of citizens. The sixth direction is to improve social policies and continue pursuing human capital development policies that includes mass education support, qualitative medical care for all residents and adoption of new laws that enhance the status of teachers and doctors. The seventh direction is to develop regions according to “the Strong Regions Strong Kazakhstan principle” strengthening local government system. The eighth direction is to continue developing the Rukhani Zhangyru programme’s (Modernisation of Kazakhstan’s Identity) values. The ninth direction is “to continue a constructive, balanced, multi-vector foreign policy course.” The tenth direction is to support youth “creating opportunities to make true (their) biggest dream and personal success story.”
“The dialogue between the authorities and society should be based on the recognition of a pluralism of opinions on the further development of Kazakhstan and the strengthening of its potential. This is the only way to strengthen the unity of the nation and the stability of the country,” he elaborated. At the June 10 press conference Tokayev reconfirmed his commitment to a constructive dialogue within the society and said a Committee on Public Confidence will be set up in support of this initiative.
International Election Observers
The Central Election Commission (CEC) accredited 1,013 international observers, including 866 from nine international organisations and 147 from 41 foreign countries. Following are different views of various international election observers The Election Observation Mission of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said that about 340 observers observed voting throughout the country on Election Day. Approximately 16 observers from foreign countries that represent the central electoral authorities of Armenia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Malaysia, Moldova, Latvia, Russia and Turkey also observed the said presidential elections 2019.
| Names/Operation | Observations |
| Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) The mission accredited 25 observers, legislative, executive and electoral body representatives of seven SCO member states and secretariat and executive committee officials of Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS). They visited 760 polling stations prior to and on election day. All the candidates were guaranteed equal access to the media to campaign. | The presidential elections met the requirements of Kazakh election legislation and the country’s international obligations. Moreover, there were no violations of the norms of the legislation. The election was transparent, reliable and democratic. It was an important step towards the further development of democratic processes in Kazakhstan. The campaigns were held in accordance with the law. |
| Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic Speaking Countries (TURKPA) | The presidential elections 2019 were held in accordance with national legislation and international election standards. The mission did not observe any significant violations or deviations from the legal framework. |
| Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States (Turkic Council) They visited 38 polling stations, including 15 in the capital and 23 in Almaty. There were also Braille alphabet templates for blind voters and mobile ballot boxes for those who could not cast their ballots at the polling stations. | Electoral participation was high and the polls were prepared in compliance with electoral law. Media was free to report about elections which contributed the legitimacy and transparency of the election process. They confirmed the election was open, transparent and competitive and complied with national legislation and internationally recognized election standards. |
| Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) The CIS mission included observers from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, and Belarusian and Russian parliamentary assemblies. | The Presidential elections complied with the principles of conducting democratic elections and were “transparent, fair, open and competitive. Approximately 432 CIS mission observers, including 20 long-term observers, monitored the campaign. They visited all regions of the country. |
| Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) The mission consisted of 339 observers from 40 countries, including 290 ODIHR-deployed experts, long-term and short-term observers and 49 OSCE-PA parliamentarians and staff. | The election took place within a legal framework. They noted that participation of a woman candidate for the presidential election was an encouraging sign for its democracy and democratic system. |
Salient Priorities of Presidential Elections 2019
Like any modern democratic country, candidates of presidential elections 2019 announced their political priorities which are given below as:-
a) Development of agricultural industry, agro-economy, equal opportunities for rural citizens and promoting traditional values, affordable agricultural leasing policies, as well as greenhouse development, food security, infrastructure development to procure, process and sell agricultural products; developing trade and improving agricultural production mechanisms. Complexes to produce, store and process livestock products should help develop Kazakhstan’s exports, according to the platform. Grants should also be provided for new farmers and minimising the inequality between urban and rural citizens, actual social guarantee.
b) Protect the interests and rights of workers, create business reforms, ensure safe workplaces, increase workers’ rights, establish higher salaries and re-examine regulations concerning migrant labour.
c) Diversification of economy, smarter economy,
d) Massive industrialization, development of renewables
e) New job generation, high GDPs and high GNPs etc.
New Appointments
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev made new appointments to government. Askhat Aimagambetov was appointed Minister of Education and Science, he had previously served as Vice Minister of Education and Science from August 2017 to January 2019 and the deputy Akim (governor) of the Karaganda Region. Kulyash Shamshidinova was relieved of the post of the Minister of Education and Science. Aimagambetov age 37 has a bachelor’s degree in history and law. He has experience in working in academia as the Political Science and Sociology professor and department chair at the Karaganda State University, his alma mater, and in the industry as the founder of media companies. Anuar Sadykulov was appointed chief of the State Guard Service of Kazakhstan. Previously, he served as deputy chairman of the National Security Committee and the head of the Arystan National Security Committee Service. Correspondingly, Ardak Ashimbekuly was relieved of the post of chief of the State Guard Service of Kazakhstan. Gali Iskaliyev was appointed Akim (Governor) of the West Kazakhstan Region. Previously, he was deputy akim of the West Kazakhstan Region. Altai Kulginov, correspondingly, was relieved of this position. Iskaliyev, 49, has a bachelor’s degree in economics. Before starting to work for the state service in 2003, Iskaliyev worked for Kazakh Turanalem and Temir banks. Altai Kulginov was appointed June 13 Akim (Mayor) of Nur-Sultan. Prior to the appointment, he had been serving as the Akim of the West Kazakhstan Region since March 2016. Correspondingly, Bakhyt Sultanov was relieved of his position as Akim of Nur-Sultan. Kulginov, 41, has graduate degrees in law and public policy, including a master’s degree from the University of Aberdeen in international commercial law that he received under the Bolashak presidential scholarship. Kulginov started his career in the Ministry of Justice and the General Prosecutor’s Office. He worked as the Akim of Uralsk from 2013 to 2016.
The President also reappointed Karim Massimov as the chairman of the National Security Committee. Massimov remains in the position for which he was initially appointed Sept. 8, 2016. Bakytzhan Sagintayev has also been reappointed by Tokayev as the head of Kazakhstan’s Presidential Administration. He was initially appointed to this position March 24. Yerlan Battakov was reappointed as head of the Department of Presidential Affairs. This appointment was decreed by Tokayev. Battakov was initially appointed for this position March 21.
Concluding Remarks
In these elections seven candidates of different political parties rigorously participated and incumbent President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev won by receiving 70.96 percent of the vote (6,539,715 votes). Overall, there were 9,968 polling stations across Kazakhstan and at the country’s foreign missions abroad, where 11,947,995 voters were registered to vote. The voter turnout, according to the official data of the Central Election Commission (CEC), was 77 per cent. In total, 1,013 international observers, including 866 observers from 9 international organisations and 147 observers from 41 foreign countries, have been accredited by the CEC to observe the election. Turn-out at more than 77 percent was high by international standards, which showed the Kazakh electorate understood the importance of the Presidential Elections 2019.
The nomination of Yespayeva from the Ak Zhol party was a historic moment for Kazakhstan, as she was the first ever female candidate to run for Presidential election in the country. It was a clear demonstration of the progress made by Kazakhstan in ensuring greater gender equality. Of course, Yespayeva was not the first female politician in Kazakhstan. The Senate Chairwoman as well as the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Education and Science, for example, are also female, as are approximately a quarter of the members of Parliament. Nevertheless, it is genuinely inspiring to see a female candidate running for President in Kazakhstan and it should motivate other women in our country to take an active part in politics.
Kazakhstan’s presidential election was the most competitive and diverse in its national history. It was completely fair and free and transparent in which people of Kazakhstan voted for further socio-economic development, territorial sovereignty, stability and sustainability. In nutshell, elements of development, prosperity, unity and continuity dominated the free choice of voters. Dreams of achieving a qualitative life overshadowed elements of uncertainty due to which political system and process of further drive of politicization and democratization has been further accelerated and subsequently strengthened.
The snap presidential election was held according to the provision of constitution. Like any western democratic country all the seven candidates participated in a grand TV show to highlight their manifestoes. Presidential elections started a new era of economic development, political stability, social development, establishment of SMEs, empowerment of women and above all reduction of poverty and job creation.
During the presidential election and especially deity of democracy was decorated by the free choice of common people(voters). The newly elected president has already set new rules of the game to achieve greater socio-economic prosperity, development of human capital and seeking more and more inflow of FDIs. He has selected new ministers and governors to achieve total transparency, administrative efficiency, corruption free governance and last but not least, promotion of elements of decency, development and community development.
President Tokayev has vast and rich experience of promoting Kazakhstan’s interests abroad. As Foreign Minister and as a seasoned diplomat he has served with distinction at the United Nations, he has earned the trust and respect of countries around the world and he will continually building friendships and alliances.
The new president has championed, alongside President Nazarbayev, the cause of nuclear disarmament. As Foreign Minister, he signed both the “Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty” and the “Treaty on a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone in Central Asia” on behalf of Kazakhstan. Both were important steps in the battle to rid the world of the threat of nuclear weapons.
He has also been personally involved in Kazakhstan’s efforts internationally to promote understanding between religions and to mobilise efforts to tackle extremism. As Head of the Secretariat, he has played a major role in the growth of the stature and influence of the triennial Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. As Chairman of the Senate, he has been a major architect of policies that have helped improve public services and transform the quality of life of Kazakhstan’s citizens. Being prominent expert on Kazakhstan I hope Kazakhstan’s democracy will further flourish, its political system and stability will further mature and that its economic growth will be further streamlined and the last but not the least, social development and civil liberties will be further enhanced and articulated in the days to come.
The government of Kazakhstan succeeded in defeating ill designs of western media outlets and demolished their negative perceptions about its so called fragile political system. Ultimately, the free will of Kazakhstan people dominated and the ballot won over bombastic ideas and commentaries of the West.
