How will extraordinary election of Kazakh President be held?

30 April, 2019 12:55

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called a snap presidential election on the 9 April 2019 TV address to the people of Kazakhstan. The election is due on 9 June 2019, and, according to the Kazakh President, considered to ensure the “continuity, predictability and stability” of the policy set by First President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev. Read more about the election process in the country.

The Kazakh Central Election Commission (CEC) endorsed a calendar of activities for the snap presidential election, to be held on 9 June this year.

Article 1, paragraph 55 of the Kazakh constitutional act vests duly registered republican public associations with the right to nominate a candidate for office. By a majority a republican public association puts forward a nominee.

The CEC provides the candidates meet the Constitution and the constitutional act on elections within five days of receipt of an extract from the protocol of the meeting of the republic public association to nominate the candidate coupled with the candidate’s declaration of consent to run for president and a document confirming that the nominee has made an election contribution.

In accordance with the Constitution and the constitutional act on elections, the candidate for office must meet the following requirements:

- Be a Kazakh national by birth;

- Have been residing in Kazakhstan for the last 15 years;

- Have high education;

- At least 40 years old;

- Enjoy an active electoral vote;

- Have at least 5 years of experience as public servant or elected official;

- Can speak the state language.

The candidates must collect at least 1% of voters’ signatures, equally from 2/3 of the regions, cities of republic significance and the capital. As at 01/01/19, 11.814.019 nationals are included in the Kazakh CEC’s voter registry, having the right to vote. So, each candidate must collect 118.140 voter signatures. Signatures are collected by the candidates’ agents, meanwhile local election commissions with passport officers register the agents and verify the signatures.

The candidates must provide the CEC with a certificate from the State Revenue Body confirming he or his spouse have handed over revenue and property declarations as of the first day of the month when the nomination was put forward, as well as a medical report on the health condition. In case improper information on revenues and properties occur, the CEC could turn the candidate’s registration down.

The pre-election agitation starts right after the registration completes, and lasts until midday preceding the day of the election. According to Article 3, paragraph 28 of the constitutional act on elections, details on the size of an election contribution, the terms and way the candidates offered airtime and media space are presented not later than 5 days pending the pre-election agitation. Several units of the calendar establish the time frames to inform the electoral actors on electoral commissions’ membership, the pooling stations’ location, the deadline for submitting the electoral roll, the date and place of voting.

The voting takes place 9 June, staring at 07:00 a.m. and ends at 20:00 p.m., the election commissions commence vote counting within 12 hours after the voting has been completed.

In administrative and territorial units, the results of the vote counting are established during meetings of territorial commissions and delivered to the CEC in 2 days (not later than 11 June).

To establish and announce the results of the elections, to register the president-elect, 7 days are needed.

Adlet Seilkhanov

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