03 April 2011 | 23:32

Preliminary voter turnout stands at 89.9%

REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov ©

Preliminary voter turnout stands at 89.9%, Kuandyk Turgankulov, Chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) announced at 10:30 p.m. Astana time. A total of 8 252 718 voters cast their vote, Tengrinews.kz quotes him as saying. The regions break-up looks as follows: Almaty oblast (96.9%) – 850 662 people; Astana City (69.1% - 244 589 people; Almaty City (68.5%) - 657 217 people; Akmolinsk oblast (93.1%) - 449 133 people; Aktyubinsk oblast (95.1%) - 405 299 people; Atyrau oblast (91.7%) - 269 891 people; East Kazakhstan oblast (94%) - 810 007 people; Zhambyl oblast (95.3%) - 465 186 people; West Kazakhstan oblast (92.6%) - 361 734 people; Karaganda region (90.8%) - 723 655 people; Kostanai oblast (64%) - 527 625 people; Kzylorda oblast (94.9%) - 359 010 people; Mangistau oblast (94.2%) - 242 243; Pavlodar oblast (88.3%) - 410 375 people; North Kazakhstan oblast (92.3%) - 368 310 people; South Kazakhstan oblast (93.1%) - 1 107 782 people. According to Mr. Turgankulov, the figure does not include data from remote places and polling stations arranged at Kazakhstan’s embassies abroad. “These data are expected later”, he said. Currently, virtually at all the polling stations local commissions started vote count. “According to the election legislation, vote count at any given polling station should not exceed 12 hours starting from the time the count starts. I believe tomorrow we will be able to announce preliminary results of the vote”, Mr. Turgankulov said. Polling stations were opened at 7 a.m. across the country. All the stations were closed at 8 p.m. Vote count is expected to take 12 hours. April 4 in the morning the CEC will announce preliminary results. Ballot papers bear four names of presidential candidates running for office of the President – incumbent Nursultan Nazarbayev, Zhambyl Akhmetbekov of the Communist People’s Party, Senator Gani Kassymov and Head of the Tabigat Environment Group Mels Eleusizov. This year's voter turnout exceeds that of 2005 presidential elections.

Preliminary voter turnout stands at 89.9%, Kuandyk Turgankulov, Chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) announced at 10:30 p.m. Astana time. A total of 8 252 718 voters cast their vote, Tengrinews.kz quotes him as saying. The regions break-up looks as follows: Almaty oblast (96.9%) – 850 662 people; Astana City (69.1% - 244 589 people; Almaty City (68.5%) - 657 217 people; Akmolinsk oblast (93.1%) - 449 133 people; Aktyubinsk oblast (95.1%) - 405 299 people; Atyrau oblast (91.7%) - 269 891 people; East Kazakhstan oblast (94%) - 810 007 people; Zhambyl oblast (95.3%) - 465 186 people; West Kazakhstan oblast (92.6%) - 361 734 people; Karaganda region (90.8%) - 723 655 people; Kostanai oblast (64%) - 527 625 people; Kzylorda oblast (94.9%) - 359 010 people; Mangistau oblast (94.2%) - 242 243; Pavlodar oblast (88.3%) - 410 375 people; North Kazakhstan oblast (92.3%) - 368 310 people; South Kazakhstan oblast (93.1%) - 1 107 782 people. According to Mr. Turgankulov, the figure does not include data from remote places and polling stations arranged at Kazakhstan’s embassies abroad. “These data are expected later”, he said. Currently, virtually at all the polling stations local commissions started vote count. “According to the election legislation, vote count at any given polling station should not exceed 12 hours starting from the time the count starts. I believe tomorrow we will be able to announce preliminary results of the vote”, Mr. Turgankulov said. Polling stations were opened at 7 a.m. across the country. All the stations were closed at 8 p.m. Vote count is expected to take 12 hours. April 4 in the morning the CEC will announce preliminary results. Ballot papers bear four names of presidential candidates running for office of the President – incumbent Nursultan Nazarbayev, Zhambyl Akhmetbekov of the Communist People’s Party, Senator Gani Kassymov and Head of the Tabigat Environment Group Mels Eleusizov. This year's voter turnout exceeds that of 2005 presidential elections.