OSCE Chairperson, Kazakhstan's Foreign Minister discuss presidential election

VILNIUS, 5 April 2011 - The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Ažubalis, today discussed Kazakhstan's 3 April presidential elections with Kazakhstan's Secretary of State and Foreign Minister, Kanat Saudabayev.

In the discussion with Saudabayev, who served as OSCE Chairperson-in-Office during 2010, Ažubalis reiterated that he welcomed the decision made by the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, not to hold a referendum on extending his term of office and to organize presidential elections in Kazakhstan, during which the citizens could express their will in a democratic way.

"I also welcomed  Kazakhstan’s co-operation with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and other international observers," Ažubalis said.

"In addition, I reiterated the preliminary assessment made by the ODIHR and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. I noted that I valued the assessment that the election process was  technically well-administered and that the news coverage of the candidates was more equal. I also discussed the shortcomings identified in the assessment and stressed the importance of implementing the OSCE observers’ recommendations when preparing for Kazakhstan’s upcoming parliamentary elections."

Ažubalis suggested organizing a seminar on election-related matters in co-operation with the OSCE Centre in Astana.

"We both agreed that the OSCE provides an excellent platform for supporting democratic reforms in the region," Ažubalis added.