Participation of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in the observation of the Mazhilis elections discussed in Vienna

Vienna, 2 March 2023 – Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Austria, Mr. Alibek Bakayev, held a meeting with Dr. Reinhold Lopatka, Deputy Head of the Austrian Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and Head of the OSCE PA Observation Mission to discuss the participation of parliamentarians in the observation of elections to the Mazhilis (the lower chamber of the Kazakh Parliament) and maslikhats (local representative bodies) of Kazakhstan, which will take place on March 19, 2023.

During the meeting, the parties exchanged opinions on the outcome of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's Winter Meeting, which took place in Vienna on 23-24 February. Furthermore, they agreed on the importance of continuing to make every effort to promote dialogue and trust-building within the Organisation.

Mr. Bakayev informed the Austrian deputy about preparing and organizing the election procedures by international best practices and standards. Emphasizing that participation in the OSCE PA and ODIHR election observation missions is a recognition of the democratic changes made in Kazakhstan in recent years, he expressed hope for an unbiased and objective assessment on the part of the observers.

In turn, the Austrian parliamentarian noted that the OSCE PA delegation is scheduled to arrive in Astana on March 17 and stay until March 20. He added that members of the Parliamentary Assembly are heading to Kazakhstan to give a fair assessment of the election process.

In addition, the sides discussed the current state and prospects of developing inter-parliamentary cooperation on the bilateral track.