Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 26
Trend:
The presidential election is held in Kazakhstan as a national holiday, said Sergio Divina, the member of the Italian delegation at the OSCE PA, the member of the senate of the Italian parliament, Kazinform reported Apr. 26.
"I am participating with pleasure in the monitoring and observing of Kazakhstan's presidential election," said Divina, who is also the vice president of the 'North League' party faction, and the vice president of the standing committee on defence at Italy's parliament.
"Our task is to see how properly the election is held," he said. "But we'll be able to make a full report only tomorrow, upon completion of the election."
Divina also shared his impressions about the election campaign in Kazakhstan.
He said the election is held in Kazakhstan as a national holiday, adding, "It means that you indeed have patriotic feelings, the sense of nationhood. In general, everything is going right."
Three candidates are taking part in the election: Nursultan 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 started at 07:00 and will end at 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.