Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 26
Trend:
Leonid Slutsky, the head of the Russian State Duma's committee for CIS affairs, Eurasian integration and relations with compatriots, said he was impressed by the voter turnout at Kazakh presidential election, taking place today, on Apr. 26, RIA Novosti reported.
"The very high turnout level is impressing; the people are as if going to a holiday," Slutsky told reporters in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. "They [the people] are going as a continuous flow, standing in line to cast votes, but quietly waiting for their turn."
"We have talked to dozens of people, and all of them - both the voters, and the commission members - have a special feeling of involvement," he added.
Three candidates are taking part in the election: Nazarbayev, who has been the country's president since 1989, Turgun Syzdykov, the secretary of the central committee of the Communist People's Party, and Abelgazi Kusainov, the chairman of the Trade Unions Federation.
The voting will take place from 07:00 to 20:00 (UTC/GMT +6 hours). In the country's four western regions - the West Kazakhstan, Atyrau, Aktobe and Mangystau regions - the polling stations will be closed an hour later due to the time difference.