CIS IPA to deploy short-term monitoring group at parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan

MINSK, 15 March (BelTA) - The CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly will deploy a short-term monitoring group for the parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan on 17 March, BelTA learned from the press service of the Secretariat of the CIS IPA Council.

"At the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, a group of international observers from the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly has been put together to monitor the early elections of deputies to the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan," the press service said. “The Central Election Commission of Kazakhstan accredited 60 members of the group, including representatives of the parliaments of Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, and representatives of the CIS IPA Secretariat and experts of the experts from the International Institute for Monitoring Democracy Development, Parliamentarianism and Suffrage Protection of Citizens of IPA CIS Member Nations (IPA CIS IIMDD).

Deputy Chairman of the Standing Commission on Regional and Eurasian Integration Issues of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Vagharshak Hakobyan has been appointed Coordinator of the CIS IPA observation mission.

On March 17-18, the observers will hold meetings with representatives of the parties participating in the elections, with the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the CEC of Kazakhstan and the Senate of the Parliament. On 19 March, members of the monitoring group will work at polling stations from the moment they open. On the voting day the CIS IPA observers will work in Astana, Almaty, Taldykorgan, and at foreign polling stations at diplomatic and consular offices in Baku, Yerevan, Minsk and Brest, Bishkek, Astrakhan, Kazan, Moscow, Omsk, St. Petersburg, Tashkent, Brussels, Rome, Beijing, Seoul and Paris. On 20 March, the CIS observers will give the outcome press conference which will be also attended by observers from the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly.

Information on the work of international observers in Kazakhstan will be promptly posted in the Telegram channel "CIS Parliaments" and on the official website of the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly.