Kazakh diplomats held briefings in several countries in Asia and the Middle East on the preparations for the parliamentary elections

Nur-Sultan, January 8, 2021 – Taking into account the growing interest in the upcoming parliamentary elections, the Embassies of Kazakhstan in several countries in Asia and the Middle East held briefings for the local media and expert communities.

In New Delhi, a briefing was held in a semi-online format, with over 30 guests participating in person and online, including prominent representatives of socio-political, expert and business circles. Ambassador of Kazakhstan to India, Yerlan Alimbayev, spoke about the history of the development of the political system of independent Kazakhstan, the democratic reforms carried out in the country and the specificities of the current electoral campaign, noting the additional measures taken to ensure the health and safety of all participants in the electoral process in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Jordan, Aidarbek Tumatov, discussed with the representatives of leading media resources and experts on political processes in Central Asia and the post-Soviet space the electoral legislation of our country, the structure and powers of the parliament and the implementation of a package of reforms aimed at further improving democratic institutions and procedures in the country. The participants of the briefing positively assessed the steps taken by Kazakhstan to strengthen its political pluralism, as evidenced, in their opinion, by the fact that voters can choose between parties with competing political platforms.

Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Qatar, Arman Isagaliyev, briefed local journalists on the electoral campaign, the participating political parties and the measures taken by the authorities to improve the legal framework for further democratization of society, aimed at ensuring that the elections are held in accordance with international standards. The participants of the event were informed about the political reforms being implemented in our country, such as the introduction of the institution of the parliamentary opposition, which guarantees parliamentary minority parties the presence in the governing structures of the legal system, the adoption of a new law on political parties, which decreases by half the number of members required to register a new party, and the establishment of a 30% quota for women and youth on the candidate lists of political parties.