New participants of Kazakhstan's presidential race announced

21 Kazakhstanis have expressed desire to run for presidency, Tengrinews reports from the Central Election Committee. The receiving of application has started on February 26 and will last until March 15, 2015.

The early presidential election in Kazakhstan is scheduled for April 26, 2015. The incumbent president of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev declared that he would run again. On March 11, he filed an application to the Central Election Committee and passed the Kazakh language examination. The test was also passed by Communist party nominee Turgun Syzdykov, self-nominated candidates Limana Koishiyeva and Kanat Turageldiyev.

"We have had 21 contenders so far. As far as I know, there will be more today. Among these nominees - one contender is from Nur Otan party and another is from the Communists Party of Kazakhstan. Candidates are tested for compliance with the requirements and have to pass the language exam. Eight were denied (the presidential candidate status): two of them for not reaching the required age (of 40), and six failed the exam of the linguistic commission. 4 people have passed the exam and have been checked for compliance, they were given candidacy lists," Deputy Chairman of the Central Election Commission Vladimir Foos said.

He said that on March 12 applications were filed by: temporarily unemployed Murat Telibekov, chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions Abelgazi Kusainov, chairman of Environmental Sustainability association Serik Mukash and pensioner Amantay Assylbek. In addition, he informed that one more woman has submitted an application - temporarily unemployed Aigul Utepova. Previously, Limana Koishiyeva was the first female self-nominated candidate wishing to run for presidency in Kazakhstan.

Later today it became known that self-nominee Bakhtiyar Yestemesov has not passed the language test. He is a Kazakh businessman born in 1972, residing in Astana.

Two of the self-nominated candidates said that they applied to make their agenda public. They are head of the Federation of Trade Unions of Kazakhstan Abelgazi Kusainov and head of Tabigat environmental union Mels Yeleusizov.

Abelgazi Kusainov ©nurotan.kz

"Elections are always a possibility to raise important issues of the society and to draw attention to the vital problems of every human life like the environmental issues and security. My colossal work and life experience have convinced me that we are underestimating these problems. Therefore, my goal in this election is to convey these questions of our existence to our society," Abelgazi Kusainov, 63, explained his motives for participating in the campaign. Kusainov used to be a Senator and served as Minister of Transport and Communications.

In turn, Mels Yereusizov noted that he had no doubt the upcoming election would be won by Nursultan Nazarbayev and his decision to nominate himself was to draw attention to his message.

Mels Yeleusizov ©Tengrinews file photo

"My main goal is to convey the true situation of the environment. Politicians do not understand it. It is much more important than the economic crisis. I do not agree with the anti-crisis program. So tomorrow I'm going to Astana to submit my application to the CEC," he said.

Talking about environmental issues, Yeleusizov mentioned the global warming, saving the Aral Sea and Lake Balkhash, as well as wastewater storage "Sorbulak" which, according to environmentalists, can break and flood the surrounding localities.

"I decided to go for the election for a purpose, though newspapers report that I go there just to amuse myself. All my campaigns are necessary to people. When I started my environmental activities, no one in the Soviet Union spoke about the environment. I used all of my campaigns for to raise the awareness. I'm going there in order to talk about an enormous number of problems," the ecologist said.

Yeleusizov participated in presidential elections of 2005 and 2011. It is known that he cast his vote for Nursultan Nazarbayev in the latest election.

One peculiar character who nominates himself this year is Amantay-kazhy Assylbek. After submitting documents to the Central Election Commission, he said he would be happy to take part in the language exam.

Amantay-kazhy Assylbek ©Assemgul Kassenova

He also wanted to run in the 2011 election. During the campaign he made loud statements. In one of them he promised to create a council of elders, which, among other things, would take upon itself the arrangement of personal lives of unmarried Kazakhstani women. He explained that his idea would be put into practice with the money from the state budget.

In the 2005 elections Amantay-kazhy was registered as a candidate by the CEC. In an interview to the media he described himself as "a world leader, leading the fight against the mafia, corruption and nuclear power plants."

The expenses of the current election campaign in Kazakhstan will equal 5 billion 414.211 million tenge.

By Dinara Urazova (Assemgul Kassenova, Renat Tashkinbayev, Assel Satayeva contributed to the story)