Photo courtesy of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus
MINSK, 14 March (BelTA) - Representatives of Belarus have joined the group of international observers from the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly and the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly and are monitoring the constitutional referendum in Kazakhstan, BelTA learned from the press service of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus.
The delegation of observers from the CIS IPA includes Natalya Pavlyuchenko, Chairwoman of the Standing Commission on Education, Science, Culture and Social Development of the Council of the Republic, Deputy Chairwoman of the Standing Commission of the CIS IPA. The observers from the CIS IPA met with Chairman of the Senate of Kazakhstan Maulen Ashimbayev. The participants discussed the preparation of the national referendum on the adoption of a new Constitution and its significance for the development of the country's political system and institutions of state power.
The CIS IPA observers also visited the Supreme Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan and met with Aslan Tukiyev, Chairman of the Collegium for administrative cases of the Supreme Court. The parties discussed the organization of the work of the courts during the preparation and conduct of the national referendum, the activities of the judiciary in accordance with the draft of the new Constitution and the protection of the rights of Kazakh citizens in the digital space.
According to the CIS IPA, the monitoring group, which includes Natalya Pavlyuchenko, also held a meeting in Astana on issues of observing the referendum. The MPs and experts outlined a work plan for voting day. The working meeting was opened by Dmitry Kobitsky, Secretary General of the CIS IPA Council. He informed that the observers from the CIS IPA are participating in the monitoring at the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Yermek Kosherbayev.
The coordinator of the group is Ziyafet Askerov, Deputy Chairman of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Parliamentarians and senators from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and officials of the Assembly and experts from the International Institute for the Development of Democracy of the CIS IPA are taking part in the observation. Short-term observers have been deployed in Kazakhstan and at foreign polling stations in the CIS countries.
According to the press service of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus, the group of international observers from the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly includes Aleksandr Goroshkin, a member of the Standing Commission on International Affairs and National Security of the Council of the Republic. The group met with the members of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The meeting emphasized that Kazakhstan prioritizes holding an open, honest, and fair referendum, and hailed the important role of the CSTO PA mission in ensuring an objective assessment of the electoral process. Ulukbek Uzakbaev, head of the observer group from the CSTO PA, thanked the Senate leadership, emphasizing that the activities of the Assembly's delegation are based on strict adherence to political neutrality, objectivity, and non-interference in the internal affairs of the state. Ulukbek Uzakbaev also noted the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in strengthening integration in the CSTO.
Aleksandr Goroshkin, as part of the group of international observers from the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly, also met with the senior officials of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The main topic of the meeting was the participation of civil society institutions in the current electoral process. Representatives of the Federation of Trade Unions informed the international observers about their activities to improve the legal and electoral awareness of citizens and the role of trade union organizations in informing the population and protecting the labor rights of voters. Nurlan Uteshev, Deputy Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan, emphasized that the participation of international observers allows for an objective assessment of the referendum.
The observer group from the CSTO PA also had a meeting in the Ministry of Defense. The meeting discussed current issues of cooperation among CSTO member states in the field of defense and security, and exchanged views on the current military-political situation in the region and the world. The Ministry of Defense informed the observers about the readiness of the Armed Forces to ensure the organized conduct of the national referendum.
The CIS IPA observers also visited the Supreme Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan and met with Aslan Tukiyev, Chairman of the Collegium for administrative cases of the Supreme Court. The parties discussed the organization of the work of the courts during the preparation and conduct of the national referendum, the activities of the judiciary in accordance with the draft of the new Constitution and the protection of the rights of Kazakh citizens in the digital space.According to the CIS IPA, the monitoring group, which includes Natalya Pavlyuchenko, also held a meeting in Astana on issues of observing the referendum. The MPs and experts outlined a work plan for voting day. The working meeting was opened by Dmitry Kobitsky, Secretary General of the CIS IPA Council. He informed that the observers from the CIS IPA are participating in the monitoring at the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Yermek Kosherbayev. The coordinator of the group is Ziyafet Askerov, Deputy Chairman of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Parliamentarians and senators from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and officials of the Assembly and experts from the International Institute for the Development of Democracy of the CIS IPA are taking part in the observation. Short-term observers have been deployed in Kazakhstan and at foreign polling stations in the CIS countries.
Ivan Mushket, Deputy Head of the Secretariat of the CIS IPA Council, Director of the International Institute for Monitoring the Development of Democracy of the CIS IPA, reported that the institute’s experts conducted an analysis of Kazakhstan’s legislation concerning the conduct of the referendum and concluded that it complies with international standards. The group also received a brief report on the results of the long-term monitoring of the referendum preparation conducted by the institute.
Aleksandr Goroshkin, as part of the group of international observers from the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly, also met with the senior officials of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The main topic of the meeting was the participation of civil society institutions in the current electoral process. Representatives of the Federation of Trade Unions informed the international observers about their activities to improve the legal and electoral awareness of citizens and the role of trade union organizations in informing the population and protecting the labor rights of voters. Nurlan Uteshev, Deputy Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan, emphasized that the participation of international observers allows for an objective assessment of the referendum.The observer group from the CSTO PA also had a meeting in the Ministry of Defense. The meeting discussed current issues of cooperation among CSTO member states in the field of defense and security, and exchanged views on the current military-political situation in the region and the world. The Ministry of Defense informed the observers about the readiness of the Armed Forces to ensure the organized conduct of the national referendum.
The national referendum on the adoption of a new Constitution in Kazakhstan will take place on 15 March. The changes affect about 84% of the text of the Constitution. Among them: the transition to a unicameral parliament - a kurultai consisting of 145 members, the formation of parliament under a proportional system for a term of five years, the introduction of the institution of vice-president, and the creation of the People’s Council of Kazakhstan. There are 12.46 million registered voters; more than 10,000 polling stations will be opened, and voting will take place in 54 countries. A total of 359 observers from 38 states and 11 international organizations have been accredited. Among them are 58 observers from the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly.
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