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Opposition see Kazakh vote flaws Kazakh poll fairness questioned
(about 3 hours later)
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev's Nur-Otan party has won all seats in the new parliament, taking 88% of the vote, official preliminary results show. The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe says an election in Kazakhstan has made progress, but not fully met international standards.
Opposition parties, which fell short of the 7% hurdle needed to enter parliament, said there were serious irregularities in Saturday's election. President Nursultan Nazarbayev's Nur-Otan party has won all seats in the new parliament, official results show.
Mr Nazarbayev had promised the ballot would enhance democracy in the oil-rich ex-Soviet Central Asian state. But the OSCE said there was a lack of transparency in the vote count at more than 40% of polling stations visited.
He celebrated victory with a lavish concert in the capital, Astana. Mr Nazarbayev had hoped for a positive OSCE verdict, since his country is due to take over its presidency in 2009.
The outcome absolutely does not reflect the actual alignment of political forces and the social support they draw Burikhan Nurmukhamedova leader of the opposition Ak Zhol party Q&A: Parliamentary electionThe outcome absolutely does not reflect the actual alignment of political forces and the social support they draw Burikhan Nurmukhamedova leader of the opposition Ak Zhol party Q&A: Parliamentary election
Mr Nazarbayev called the poll two years early in order to amend the constitution, expanding parliament and introducing proportional representation but also removing any limit on presidential terms in office.
Kazakhstan has never held an election deemed free and fair by the international community, the BBC's Natalia Antelava reports from Astana.Kazakhstan has never held an election deemed free and fair by the international community, the BBC's Natalia Antelava reports from Astana.
But there had been hope that things would be different this time if only because of Mr Nazarbayev's ambition to turn his country into a serious international player, our correspondent adds.But there had been hope that things would be different this time if only because of Mr Nazarbayev's ambition to turn his country into a serious international player, our correspondent adds.
He aspires to chair the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in 2009. The OSCE had hundreds of monitors at the election and is due to deliver an early verdict on its conduct later on Sunday. 'Lack of transparency'
'Profaned' In a post-election report, the OSCE praised the atmosphere in which the poll took place, but questioned its fairness.
Ualikhan Kaisarov, a leader of the biggest opposition party, the National Social Democratic Party, said the election had been "utterly profaned". "Voting was conducted in a calm atmosphere and was assessed positively by observers. However the vote count was assessed negatively in over 40 per cent of polling stations visited, mainly due to procedural problems and lack of transparency," the OSCE said.
The organization also criticised the electoral framework, particularly the high threshold - seven percent - needed to win parliamentary representation, and said the state media had favoured Mr Nazarbayev's party.
Official preliminary results show the Nur-Otan party won 88% of the vote and no other party crossed the seven per cent threshold, handing all 98 elected seats in the lower house of the Kazakh parliament to Nur-Otan.
Ualikhan Kaisarov, a leader of the biggest opposition party, the National Social Democratic Party, said Saturday's election had been "utterly profaned".
Constitutional changes
Mr Nazarbayev celebrated victory with a lavish concert in the capital, Astana.
The main opposition party says the campaign was weighted against itThe main opposition party says the campaign was weighted against it
His party, which officially won 4.62% of the vote, had complained before polling day that it had not been allowed to run some of its adverts on national television and criticisms levelled by its leaders in one TV debate had been edited out. He had called the poll two years early in order to amend the constitution, expanding parliament and introducing proportional representation but also removing any limit on presidential terms in office.
Ualikhan Kaisarov's party, which officially won 4.62% of the vote, had complained before polling day that it had not been allowed to run some of its adverts on national television and criticisms levelled by its leaders in one TV debate had been edited out.
A leader of the Ak Zhol party, which officially won 3.25% of the vote according to the Kazakh election commission, said it did not recognise the result and insisted it had actually won about 12%.A leader of the Ak Zhol party, which officially won 3.25% of the vote according to the Kazakh election commission, said it did not recognise the result and insisted it had actually won about 12%.
"The outcome absolutely does not reflect the actual alignment of political forces and the social support they draw," Burikhan Nurmukhamedov said, in remarks quoted by Russian news agency Interfax."The outcome absolutely does not reflect the actual alignment of political forces and the social support they draw," Burikhan Nurmukhamedov said, in remarks quoted by Russian news agency Interfax.
The party, he added, would protest to the election commission and chief prosecutor with proof of voting irregularities.The party, he added, would protest to the election commission and chief prosecutor with proof of voting irregularities.
'Peace and consensus''Peace and consensus'
Mr Nazarbayev, who has ruled Kazakhstan since Soviet times, told a rally of about 3,000 supporters on Saturday night that the country had embarked on "a new political system".Mr Nazarbayev, who has ruled Kazakhstan since Soviet times, told a rally of about 3,000 supporters on Saturday night that the country had embarked on "a new political system".
Low-key personality cultLow-key personality cult
"I am sure that Kazakhs have chosen the way of peace, consensus, prosperity and the improvement of the lives of all Kazakhs," he said."I am sure that Kazakhs have chosen the way of peace, consensus, prosperity and the improvement of the lives of all Kazakhs," he said.
Two-thirds of Kazakh voters turned out for the election in the country of 15m, according to the election commission.Two-thirds of Kazakh voters turned out for the election in the country of 15m, according to the election commission.
The country occupies a unique position among the ex-Soviet Central Asian states for having a large ethnic Russian minority.The country occupies a unique position among the ex-Soviet Central Asian states for having a large ethnic Russian minority.