Factsheet on the elections of mayors of towns of regional significance, villages, and rural districts

Factsheet on the elections of mayors of towns of regional significance, villages, and rural districts

Overview

 

In his State-of-the-Nation Address in September 2020, President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev instructed to conduct direct elections of mayors of rural districts starting from 2021.

This forms part of a package of key policy reforms related to the decentralisation of public administration through the introduction of local self-government.

 

Objectives

 

This reform is aimed at the following objectives:

  • Open public administration and the implementation of the concept of a “listening state”.
  • Expanding citizen participation in the development of rural areas and solving local issues.
  • Gradual transfer of executive and legislative powers to the lower level.
  • Development of political competition.

 

Direct elections of mayors of rural districts will allow:

  • To increase the activity of citizens in the full realisation of their constitutional rights.
  • To strengthen the confidence of the population in the authorities and increase the accountability of the mayor
  • To increase the responsiveness of the rural mayors to the needs of the population.

 

The elections will be held either at the end of the term of office of the current rural mayor or if there is an early termination of powers of the rural mayor. The direct elections will affect 2,346 mayor of rural areas, of which more than 750 will be elected directly by the population this year.

 

Nomination of candidates

 

Nominations can be made by:

  • Political parties of members of the party.
  • Self-nomination (requires collection of signatures in support of a candidate - at least 1% of voters residing in the respective constituency).
  • Mayor of the district (towns of regional significance) if less than two candidates have been nominated at the end of the nomination period.

Election campaign

The election campaign lasts for 30 days.

Timings:

  • If the term of office of the current mayor expires - elections are announced 40 days in advance and must take place 10 days before the expiration of the term of office of the current mayor.
  • In case of resignation of the current mayor - elections are scheduled within a month and must be held within 30 days from the date of their announcement.
  • The nomination of candidates begins the day after the announcement of the elections and ends 15 days before the election day. During this period, the candidates collect documents required for registration.
  • Candidate registration ends 10 days before the election day. Submitted documents are checked during this period by the regional election commission.
  • Campaigning and preparations for the elections take place during 10 days prior to the election.
  • After the elections, the results are counted within 3 days, the registration of the elected mayor is conducted within 7 days. The powers of the elected mayor begin from the moment of his registration.

Financing

  • Electoral fee is 42,500 tenge (monthly minimum wage, 99 USD).
  • The state guarantees candidates an equal allocation of funds for media engagement.
  • The procedure and volume of allocation of funds for media engagement is determined by the Central Election Commission.
  • The local budget covers the expenses of candidates for appearances in the media, holding public campaign events and issuing campaign materials for candidates, as well as travel expenses for candidates.
  • The amount of expenses allocated to candidates is determined by the relevant regional election commission.
  • Funding and financing for direct elections of rural mayors are carried out through the local budget. At the same time, for 2021-2022, elections will be financed through the Central Election Commission using the state budget.

 

Election commission

 

Regional (territorial) election commissions conduct all the main electoral activities such as announcement of elections, the nomination and registration of candidates, etc.

  • Election procedures related to voting day are implemented by precinct election commissions.
  • The regional territorial election commissions are entrusted with monitoring the observance of the rule of law, as well as issues of financial, material, technical and organisational support.
  • The Central Election Commission monitors the application of electoral legislation, compliance of territorial election commissions with the requirements of the Constitutional Law “On Elections”, as well as general organisational support of the campaign.

 

Termination of powers of the mayors takes place in the following instances:

 

  • Registration of the newly elected mayor by the territorial election commission.
  • A vote of no confidence by the senior mayor issued by the members of the local representative bodies of the region.
  • Termination of membership in a political party.
  • Deceased, recognition of the mayor by a court decision incapacitated, partially capable, missing.
  • Termination of the citizenship of Kazakhstan.
  • In other cases as outlined by the laws of Kazakhstan.