OSCE PA to deploy observers for the 10 January parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan

COPENHAGEN, 4 January 2021 – The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly will deploy seven parliamentarians and staff from five countries to observe the parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan this Sunday. The PA’s observer team will focus its efforts in the capital, Nur-Sultan, and will work closely with long-term observers deployed by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. Altogether, the OSCE will have some 30 observers in the country.

Kristian Vigenin (Bulgaria) has been appointed Special Co-ordinator to lead the short-term OSCE observers and deliver the statement of preliminary findings and conclusions, which will take place at a press conference in Nur-Sultan on 11 January. A former foreign minister of Bulgaria, Vigenin is Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly, having previously served as Rapporteur of the General Committee on Political Affairs and Security. He is also Deputy Head of the Bulgarian Delegation to the OSCE PA.

“These elections come after several changes that have been made in the legal framework over the last few years, including reforms that address some of the previous OSCE/ODIHR recommendations,” Vigenin said. “Our observers look forward to seeing how these changes are implemented.”

Vigenin noted that the COVID-19 pandemic poses challenges, but the observer team is taking all necessary precautions to protect the health of observers, voters, and election officials. “We thank the authorities in Kazakhstan for all they have done to facilitate our work and make this election observation mission possible,” Vigenin said.

Observers will be briefed by election administrators, experts, political party representatives, and civil society representatives for two days prior to election day.

The elections will be assessed against democratic commitments contained in the OSCE’s 1990 Copenhagen Document, to which Kazakhstan has agreed. Key provisions include: free voting procedures, a fair and free campaign atmosphere, access to media, and honest and accurate reporting of results.

For previous OSCE PA assessments of elections in Kazakhstan, please click here.

Members of the media interested in further information should contact the following spokesperson for the OSCE PA's observer team: