Kazakhstan, Astana, April 3 / Trend A. Maratov /
The CIS Observation Mission stressed the high political voter turnout, good preparation of the electoral process and procedural transparency for the early hours of the elections.
"This is a gratifying fact as the elections are the moment of expressing the will and direct democracy, when people choose how to live in the future," representative of the CIS mission Yuri Solozubov said at a press-briefing on Sunday. I see that the Kazakh people are actively using this right,".
Polling stations are open from 7:00 a.m. to 20:00 p.m. on the Kazakhstan time. The authorities promise the most transparent elections in history.
Besides the incumbent president, Communist Zhambyl Ahmetbekov, leader of the Patriots Party, Senator Gani Kasimov and Tabiyat Ecological Union leader Mels Eleusizov participate in the snap presidential elections.
The CIS mission attended many polling stations during the first hours of the elections and stressed the high turnout, he said.
"I have something to compare," he said. I work in the CIS area. I monitored the elections in Kazakhstan in 2005 and 2007. I think that these elections will enter the history as the most open ones."
A total of 1,059 accredited observers will be monitoring the elections in the country. The most numerous mission will be from the CIS (425) and the OSCE/ODIHR (357 people). Over 250 foreign journalists monitor the elections.
According to experts, the acting head of state will easily win the election. 70-year-old Nazarbayev has been in power for over 20 years, and according to opinion polls, is supported by about 90 percent of the population.
The legislation in Kazakhstan does not provide turnout threshold. Elections will be held for any number of voters. However, the voter turnout is an important factor in the election's legitimacy.
Presidential elections in Kazakhstan are characterized by high turnout. About 76.79 percent of voters participated in the last presidential elections in 2005.
The CEC will announce the preliminary results of the elections in the first half of April 4.