ELECTION

Infringements at the election: it is time to shift from words to deeds

ALMATY, Oct 18

(THE GLOBE)

After the election any person who attentively watched the election had an impression that most defeated candidates were unsatisfied with the official results. Let�s consider one of the Almaty election districts, the Alatau one as an example.

According to ASaP data, during the election 34.5% of electors voted for Seidakhmet Kuttykadam, while 14.7% - for Mr. Makalkin. Mr. Kuttykadam ascertains that even according to the protocols of all 80 election commissions, despite serious falsifications in favour of Valentin Makalkin, only 36% of electors voted for him, while 24% voted for Kuttykadam. The first one could not win in the first round.

In his opinion, electors were given previously filled (for �Otan� and Makalkin) bulletins.

�The authorities involved many members of district and circuit commissions in these falsifications, i.e. they made them accomplices of a group crime,� the leader of �Orleu� announces.

Thus, he concludes all desperate efforts by the authorities to refute even a small encroachment on the power monopoly prove the regime�s agony.

Besides, Seidakhmet Kuttykadam said that during the election they switched off the light at one of the districts. This gave them an opportunity to falsify the election results.

We believe the leader of the movement could not accuse the authorities on his bare word. At the same time it seems to us announcements are insufficient, as concrete facts (e.g. protocols of the above-mentioned election commissions) are necessary. This concerns all people stating infringements. If the election were held with serious infringements indeed, it is required to settle this problem seriously having submitted weighty proofs. In other words, it is necessary to shift from words to deeds.

We are in a position to change the situation (if not change, at least to try to do it having written proofs).

It may be noticed that recently many people hope for OSCE. However, this organisation is just an observer, despite a definite pressure on the Kazakhstan authorities by OSCE and US Congress. When this organisation is blamed for biased judgement (in connection with the announcement regarding the Parliamentary election) this also proves the importance with which the organisation is imparted.

But the election in Kazakhstan is first of all the business of Kazakhstan and Kazakhstan population. Let�s settle our problems themselves, but not hope for help from outside. This is our country and we have to live here.

P.S. I wonder if there is a deputy who will reject from his sit in the new Parliament grounding his action with illegitimacy of the held election?


General Office of Public Prosecutor summed up the election results

Gulbanu ABENOVA

ASTANA, Oct 15 (THE GLOBE)

�The General Office of Public Prosecutor summed up the results of the first round of the election. Naturally, we were interested in the only issue � observation of the laws during the pre-election campaign and the election. There were some infringements, and I will say about them,� the General Public Prosecutor of Kazakhstan announced on October 15 in Astana.

Yuryi Hitrin said the in general, from the legal point of view, the election campaign was successful. This is proved by the positive evaluation of some democratic institutions, including international ones.

At the same time a number of infringements of the law on election by both election commissions and candidates were observed at some election districts.

In particular, infringements of terms of candidates� examination by compliance with requirements, inclusion of persons subordinate to candidates to election commissions, were revealed. These infringements of the law were observed at the election commissions in Eastern Kazakhstan, Atyrau, Karaganda and some other regions. Nine members of district commissions of the Zelenovsky district (Western Kazakhstan) were directly subordinate to candidates. The similar fact was observed in 10 election districts in Uralsk.

�We consider the registration of some foreign citizens and persons with a double citizenship as a serious infringement,� Mr. Hitrin stated.

According to Mr. Hitrin, the Office of Public Prosecutor revealed 4 facts of this infringement. �I have grounds to suppose that in three cases this was done due to negligence and unscrupulousness of election commissions. If we are so, our representative organisations will be represented by foreign citizens,� he said.

In his opinion, this became possible due to the absence of an accurate mechanism of candidates� examination by election commissions. He said that the General Office of Public Prosecutor would propose the Central Election Commission to reconsider the pre-registration procedure to avoid casual persons. �I mean persons who do not comply with requirements stipulated by our Constitution,� the General Prosecutor emphasised.

He said that a lot of infringements had been observed by candidates, in particular by those who had tried to get a support of electorate applying to illegal methods. He mentioned that on August 20 at 11 a.m. in Taraz the chairman of the trade union Baiganov, a candidate to the Mazhilis deputies had hold an unsanctioned meeting before the building of the regional Akimat, where he had tried to conduct the pre-election agitation. In Astana on September 30 a group of persons held a demonstration initiated by the candidate Saidova, though this demonstration had not been permitted by the authorised organisations. Mr. Hitrin said that organisers and participants of these illegal actions had been made answerable according to the law.

According to the General Public Prosecutor, since the beginning of the election campaign the Office of Public Prosecutor has considered 91 claims of citizens and entities, including 23 submitted by officers of the central authorities. At present the courts along with prosecutors have considered 59 applications, including 17 claims were satisfied. Twenty-nine claims by plaintiffs were not satisfied, the rest 13 claims have not been considered. Besides, at the present time 11 claims are being considered.

�There is a number of claims on serious infringements of the election right, including with signs of crimes, are being considered by the Office of Public Prosecutor,� Yuryi Hitrin stated. The Office of Public Prosecutor is going to take adequate measures on these infringements up to laying criminal cases. �Possibly, we will have to put a question before either the Central Election Commission or the court regarding invalidity of the election results. The examination will show whether it is necessary,� he concluded.


Chairman of the election commission announces about infringement during the election

Erkanat ABENI

ALMATY, Oct 17

(THE GLOBE)

�In my district the election to the Parliament Mazhilis was falsified,� the chairman of the circuit election commission No.9 of Ili district in Almaty region announced on Friday in Almaty.

According to Bolys Bopetaev, on the day of election a lot of claims by observers from Enbekshikazakh district. These claims informed about serious infringements of the law on election during voting.

He mentioned the fact, which, according to him, is confirmed by observers� protocols. At the election district No. 159 five observers noticed 637 bulletins put in the ballot-box. After the ballot-box was opened, there were 919 bulletins more.

Mr. Bopetaev thinks falsification was done under pressure by Akimats of all levels. �In four days after the election the Akim of Ili region Nikolai Logutov directly instructed me to call chairmen of district commissions one by one and to order them �to elect� Kenzhebek Omergali,� the chairman of the circuit election commission stated.

Mr. Bopetaev said he had rejected the Akim�s order and on the same day he had sent in his resignation requesting to dismiss him from the post of the head of the Department of Labour, Employment and Social Protection of the Population. �I know, Nikolai Logutov is an honest and decent man, but I am sure somebody forces him,� the chairman emphasised.

Bolys Bopetaev said he had sent his application to the chairman of the Central Election Commission Mrs. Balieva. In this application on the basis of the above-mentioned reasons he asked to dismiss him from the post of the chairman of the election commission of Ili district.

According to �Khabar� agency, the Akim of Ili district Nikolai Logutov refuted all Mr. Bopetaev�s statements. The Akim said the chairman of the district election commission had requested him to patronage one of the candidates. �He is just lobbying somebody�s interests,� Mr. Logutov emphasised.


Communists ask the Central Election Commission and the Office of Public Prosecutor not to trust the poll results

Erkanat ABENI

ALMATY, Oct 18 (THE GLOBE)

�The regional committee of the Communist Part in Southern Kazakhstan asks the Central Election Commission and the Office of Public Prosecutor of RK not to trust the results of the election by parties� lists,� the communist leader announced on Monday in Almaty.

Serikbolsyn Abdildin said, according to the first secretary of the Southern Kazakhstan regional committee of the Communist party at first they registered 24,455 votes given for Communist in Sairam district. Later this figure became 11,445. In Turkestan district 19,881 votes were corrected to 6,541, in Tolebi district � 8,684 to 4,684. �Totally in these three districts about 30 thousand votes were added to �Otan� party,� Mr. Abdildin resumed.

According to the first secretary of CPK, on October 13 the Taraz city court considered a claim laid by observers from the Communist party regarding acknowledgement of the poll results in Zhambyl election district No. 24 invalid. The court rejected to accept the claim.

�The Office of Public Prosecutor and Kazakhstan courts works only for the authorities. They do whatever is possible to please the President and to impede representatives of the opposition to enter the Parliament,� Mr. Abdildin emphasised.


Authenticity of ASaP data is the subject to doubts, � General Public Prosecutor

ASTANA, Oct 15

(THE GLOBE)

�Authenticity of ASaP data is the subject to doubts,� the General Public Prosecutor of RK announced on October 15 in Astana.

Yuryi Hitrin believes that the presence of ASaP sociologists was an infringement. In his opinion, sociologists should have polled people not near at election districts, but in crowded places (at shops, markets, and in other public places).

�To my mind, it is unethical to poll the elector who is going to take part in the election, for whom he will vote. Moreover, it is unethical to question him when he goes out from the election district, as it is resembles to interrogation,� the General Public Prosecutor stated.

At the same time, he emphasised, neither law-reinforcement organisations nor police had impeded the polls conducted by ASaP sociologists. Though, according to Mr. Hitrin, in many countries in Europe and America similar sociological polls are being conducted, this was not accepted in our country before. Hence we have some difficulties.

�We have no claims to ASaP activity. Nobody has dispersed them and nobody is going to do this. They fulfil the useful work. Though this should be done in a different way. Sometimes they ask so questions at the election districts, which they ought not to ask at all,� Mr. Hitrin resumed.


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