ODIHR experts present reports on recent early elections and referendum and discuss recommendations in Kazakhstan

Election experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) presented the final reports on Kazakhstan’s 2023 early parliamentary elections, 2022 early presidential election and 2022 referendum during a visit to Astana and Almaty that took place from 20 to 24 November 2023.

“We very much appreciate the co-operation with the Kazakhstani authorities and the opportunity to discuss our latest election reports and recommendations, in particular those related to fundamental rights and freedoms,” said Eoghan Murphy, Head of the ODIHR Election Observation Mission for the 2023 early parliamentary elections. “The recommendations need to be addressed in an open and inclusive manner, and to take place well ahead of the next elections.”

The reports’ key findings and recommendations were discussed with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Culture and Information, the Central Election Commission, both chambers of the Parliament, and the Commissioner for Human Rights. A roundtable discussion with civil society organizations also took place in Almaty.

Discussions centered on both the positive measures introduced ahead of the elections as well as recommendations that have not yet been implemented. The outstanding recommendations include removing existing restrictions to the fundamental rights of expression, peaceful assembly and association, ensuring pluralism, creating more favorable conditions for the registration of political parties and unimpeded work of citizen observers, enhancing the transparency and integrity of the electoral process and guaranteeing effective adjudication of election disputes.

ODIHR experts also outlined potential areas for ODIHR’s engagement with national institutions and offered assistance to bring the electoral process closer in line with OSCE commitments and international standards, including legal reviews and thematic workshops. The authorities expressed an interest in engaging in further discussions.

ODIHR’s election observation methodology includes an assessment of countries’ efforts to implement previous recommendations through changes in legislation, procedures and practices.  For Kazakhstan, the last ODIHR observation mission evaluated the follow-up to recommendations from the 2019 presidential election, the 2021 parliamentary elections and the 2022 referendum, and concluded that three recommendations had been fully implemented, another three mostly implemented, and 24 partially addressed, while others remain to be carried out.

In the 1999 OSCE Istanbul Document, all OSCE participating States committed themselves to “follow up promptly the ODIHR’s election assessment and recommendations”.