Kazakhstan is electing its parliament

Today, on January15, 2012, Kazakhstan is electing member of the Majilis (lower chamber of the Parliament), and Maslikhats (local representative authorities). Voting started at 7 a.m. Astana time in most of the country’s regions. It is taking place at 9 764 polling stations with 13 322 election commissions operation throughout the country, Tengrinews.kz reports. Citizens are filling in 3 ballot-papers: to vote for a party running for the Mazhilis, to vote for a candidate running of an oblast Maslikhat and to vote for a candidate running for the city of region’s Maslikhat. After the elections the Parliament of Kazakhstan will have representative of at least two political parties. The threshold a party must overcome to get seats in the Majilis is 7 percent. Once it is overcome by one of the parties the second most popular party gets seats regardless of its ability to overcome the threshold 7%. Seven political parties are contesting seats of the lower chamber of the Parliament: People’s Democratic Party Nur Otan, Party of Patriots of Kazakhstan, Democratic Party of Kazakhstan Ak Zhol, National Social-Democratic Party, Communist People’s Party of Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Social-Democratic Party Auyl and Democratic Party Adilet. There is a name of the eight’s party – Rukhaniyat – in the ballot papers, but it is stricken out. Rukhaniyat dropped out of the election race because prosecution office revealed violations in filing of its candidates. Zhanaozen town in western Kazakhstan (Mangistau oblast) almost lost of chance to vote in today’s elections. State of emergency has been enacted in the town until January 31. The Constitutional Council of Kazakhstan initially stated that voting on January 15 is impossible in the town of Zhanaozen, because of the state of emergency. After that the Central Election Commission decreed to hold Maslikhat elections in Zhanaozen, after the state of emergency is lifted and forego the parliamentary elections altogether. But president of the country Nursultan Nazarbayev vetoed the decision of the Constitutional Council. The Constitutional Council failed to override the president’s veto. So, now Zhanaozen is voting like the rest of the country. The election commission announces turnout of votes every two hours. Preliminary turnout results of the elections will be available on midnight. At the same time results of exit polls are expected to be publicized. Preliminary results of the elecitons will be announced o January 16.