- Elections in Kazakhstan
Elections in Kazakhstan are held on a national level to elect a President and the the Parliament, which is divided into two bodies, the
Majilis (Assembly) and the Senate. Local elections for maslikhats (local representative bodies) are held every five years. [http://www.legislationline.org/?tid=1&jid=28&less=false Kazakhstan] Legislation Online]Elections are administered by the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan is a
one party dominant state in the way that only supporters of the president can share power. Oppositionpolitical parties are allowed, but are widely considered to have no real chance of gaining power due to corruption, resulting in voting irregularities as seen in the 2004 elections.Presidential elections
Kazakhstan's
president is elected by the people and serves for at most two five-year terms. Term limits were removed for the incumbentNursultan Nazarbayev on18 May 2007 , when parliament also voted to reduce the term length from seven to five years. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6668229.stm Kazakh MPs lift presidency limit] BBC News]The next presidential elections are scheduled for 2012.
Latest election
Parliamentary elections
The
legislature , known as the Parliament ("Parlamenti"), has two chambers.The Assembly ("Mazhilis") has 77 seats, elected for a four year term, 67 in single seat constituencies and 10 by
proportional representation The Senate has 47 members, 40 of whom are elected to six-year terms in double-seat constituencies by the local assemblies, half renewed every two years, and 7 presidential appointees. In addition, ex-presidents are ex-officio
senators for life .The next parliamentary elections are scheduled for 2011, however government leaders have hinted that early elections may take place in the fall of 2009, in preparation for Kazakhstan's takeover of the
OSCE chairmanship in 2010. [ [http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav061808a.shtml Kazakhstan: Early Parliamentary Poll on the Cards] Eurasianet]Latest Election
Past elections
ee also
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Electoral calendar
*Electoral system References
External links
* [http://election.kz/pls/portal/url/page/election_eng The Central Election Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan]
* [http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/k/kazakhstan/ Kazakhstan Elections] Adam Carr's Election Archive
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