Presidential election in Kazakhstan 2019

Presidential election in Kazakhstan 2019
Candidates			percent
Qassym-Shomart Toqayev			71.0%
Amirjan Qosanov			16.2%
Danija Jespaeva			5.1%
Other			7.7%
Distribution of votes in percent

The presidential election in Kazakhstan took place on June 9, 2019. The winner of the election was Qassym-Shomart Toqayev , the ruling party's candidate. During the election, which international observers deemed not free and fair, there were major protests in the country.

background

On March 19, 2019, Nursultan Nazarbayev , who had ruled Kazakhstan in an authoritarian manner since independence in 1991, announced his resignation. On March 20, Qassym-Shomart Toqayev , who had previously been President of the Kazakh Senate, was appointed interim president of the country. On April 9, Toqayev announced early presidential elections for June 9 in a televised address; the next election of the Kazakh president would normally have taken place in April 2020.

Candidates

The nomination of the candidates took place from April 10th to April 28th. The subsequent registration took place until May 11th. A total of seven candidates were accepted for the presidential election. The Kazakh Federation of National Equestrian Sports "Uly Dala Qyrandary" nominated its Vice President Sädibek Tügel. On April 23, Nursultan Nazarbayev announced that the incumbent President Qassym-Shomart Toqayev would take part in the election for Nur Otan . The Democratic Party Aq Schol nominated the parliamentary member Danija Jespajewa, the first woman who has so far participated in a presidential election in Kazakhstan. In addition, Amirjan Qosanov ran for the national patriotic movement "Ult taghdyry", Töleutai Raqymbekow for the Democratic Patriotic People's Party Auyl , Shambyl Akhmetbekow for the Communist People's Party of Kazakhstan and Amangeldy Tasspichow for the Kazakh Trade Union Federation.

Protests

There were protests in the run-up to the elections. Two activists were arrested at the end of April who posted a poster calling for free elections during a marathon in Almaty . The two were sentenced to 15 days in prison for an unauthorized demonstration. Hundreds of people demonstrated across the country on May 1, demanding the release of all political prisoners and a boycott of the presidential election. In Almaty, the demonstrators were stopped by the police and several dozen people were arrested. There were further arrests in the capital Nur-Sultan , Aqtöbe , Karagandy and Shymkent . Participants in the demonstrations were later sentenced to several days in prison. Protests and arrests resumed on May 9 during the celebrations of the Second World War. In addition, many social networks and news websites were no longer available in the country. The protests came just one day after Muchtar Abelyasov , a government critic living abroad, called for protests.

On election day, June 9th, protests broke out again across the country. In Almaty and Nur-Sultan, several hundred people demonstrated for free and fair elections. Several hundred people were arrested by the police in Nur-Sultan, including foreign journalists. Internet access was also restricted on election day. There were further arrests across the country on June 10th. Protests and arrests continued on the day Toqayev was inaugurated.

In total, nearly 1,000 people across the country had been sentenced to prison or other sentences. 670 people were sentenced to prison terms, the other people were given either fines or warnings. The protesters were found guilty of participating in illegal protests in disregard of police instructions.

Result

Bottom line:

candidate		Political party	be right
			number	%
	Qassym-Shomart Toqayev	Only Otan	6,539,715	70.96
	Amirjan Qosanov	National patriotic movement "Ult taghdyry"	1,495,401	16.23
	Danija Jespaeva	Democratic Party Aq Schol	465.714	5.05
	Töleutai Raqymbekow	Democratic Patriotic People's Party Auyl	280.451	3.04
	Amangeldy Tasspichow	Kazakh Union Federation	182,898	1.98
	Shambyl Akhmetbekov	Communist People's Party of Kazakhstan	167,649	1.82
	Sädibek hill	Association of the national equestrian sport "Uly Dala Qyrandary"	84,582	0.92
Total (turnout 77.5%)				100.00

Result by area:

area	electoral participation	Akhmetbekov		Jespaeva		Qosanov		Raqymbekow		Tasspikhov		Toqayev		Hill
		number	%	number	%	number	%	number	%	number	%	number	%	number	%
Almaty	89.0	10.138	0.81	20,508	1.64	207.431	16.60	26,711	2.14	8,720	0.70	967.042	77.40	8,895	0.71
Aqmola	83.4	13,124	3.05	23,914	5.56	45,802	10.64	20,165	4.69	9,896	2.30	314,859	73.16	2,599	0.60
Aqtobe	84.9	3,794	0.79	42,751	8.85	69,472	14.39	14,958	3.10	9,186	1.90	340.979	70.62	1,680	0.35
Atyrau	71.2	1,761	0.61	11,126	3.86	65,436	22.69	3,523	1.22	4,993	1.73	199.718	69.24	1,882	0.65
Mangghystau	68.9	6.158	2.32	12,911	4.86	86,958	32.73	3,069	1.16	7,236	2.72	147,495	55.52	1,827	0.69
Northern Kazakhstan	79.8	10,409	3.26	9,802	3.07	32,754	10.26	12,963	4.06	19,419	6.08	232.284	72.75	1,660	0.52
East Kazakhstan	84.9	15,838	1.93	51,074	6.24	126,339	15.43	16,419	2.01	10,566	1.29	580.457	70.89	18.102	2.21
Pavlodar	81.2	4,949	1.11	27,450	6.16	63,895	14.33	16,923	3.79	3.226	0.72	327.277	73.39	2,221	0.50
Karagandy	77.3	11,454	1.60	44,526	6.22	125.203	17.40	21,762	3.04	6,299	0.88	501.947	70.12	4,654	0.65
Qostanai	84.1	2,025	0.41	43,789	8.96	51,951	10.63	14,131	2.89	17,854	3.65	357,633	73.17	1,365	0.28
Kyzylorda	81.6	2.015	0.51	16,783	4.22	68,804	17.32	3.226	0.81	2,896	0.73	299.192	75.32	4,333	1.09
Shambyl	81.3	8,341	1.45	30,777	5.35	96,415	16.76	21,400	3.72	10,757	1.87	401.133	69.73	6,443	1.12
Turkistan	84.8	10,684	1.07	28,887	2.89	178,498	17.88	45,055	4.51	10,788	1.08	720,855	72.21	3,487	0.35
Western Kazakhstan	66.3	2,854	0.94	4,415	1.45	63,355	20.85	2,923	0.96	5,159	1.70	223.937	73.69	1,237	0.41
Almaty (city)	52.2	39,375	6.70	43,489	7.40	50,366	8.57	19,982	3.4	30,560	5.20	392.167	66.73	11,754	2.00
Nur-Sultan (city)	68.9	15,026	3.23	36,099	7.76	91.038	19.57	27.307	5.87	11,536	2.48	275,346	59.19	8,838	1.90
Shymkent (city)	67.6	9,704	2.53	17,413	4.54	71,684	18.69	9,934	2.59	13,807	3.60	257.394	67.11	3,605	0.94

criticism

The election was not judged to be free and fair internationally. However, compared to previous elections, it was seen as a small step forward that more candidates than before, including a real oppositionist - Amirjan Qosanov - were allowed to vote. Oppositionists feared that there might be irregularities in the counting of votes. The only promising candidate was Toqayev, who is to a certain extent the successor personally chosen by Nursultan Nazarbayev. Opposition candidates were considered to have no chance from the start. Protests broke out in Almaty, the largest city, on election day and were suppressed by the police. Hundreds of demonstrators were arrested.

The OSCE criticized the election and described the vote as not free and fair. The numerous arrests of peaceful demonstrators violated fundamental freedoms and widespread electoral violations. Although seven candidates ran for election, there were significant barriers to participation as a candidate and restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly. Numerous cases of election fraud and irregularities in the counting of votes were observed on election day.

Web links

• Central Electoral Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan (English, Kazakh and Russian)
• Kazakhstan, Early Presidential Election, 9 June 2019: Statement of Preliminary Findings and Conclusions. OSCE (PDF, English).
• Thomas Helm, Shynggys Ibraimov: New President Elected in Kazakhstan - Shaper or Administrator? Konrad Adenauer Foundation (PDF).

Individual evidence

1. ↑ rferl.org: Kazakhstan To Hold Snap Presidential Election On June 9 , accessed May 30, 2019.
2. ↑ election.gov.kz: Information about the current election campaign , accessed on May 30, 2019.
3. ^ Amnesty Recognizes Two Jailed Kazakh Activists As 'Prisoners Of Conscience'. Radio Free Europe, accessed June 15, 2019.
4. ↑ Kazakh Protesters Call For Presidential Election Boycott Radio Free Europe, accessed June 15, 2019.
5. ↑ Kazakh Protesters Detained As Websites Go Dark Radio Free Europe, accessed June 15, 2019.
6. ↑ Hundreds Detained In Kazakhstan As Nazarbaev's Chosen Presidential Successor Leads Exit Poll Radio Free Europe, accessed June 15, 2019.
7. ↑ Protests against election: Almost a thousand convictions in Kazakhstan. ORF, accessed on June 15, 2019.
8. ↑ 70.96% of voters cast their ballots for Kassym-Jomart Tokayev - CEC announces election results , accessed on June 10, 2019.
9. ↑ Results of the early election of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, held on June 9, 2019. election.gov.kz, accessed on June 15, 2019.
10. ↑ Emily Sherwin: Elections in Kazakhstan - A Glimmer of Hope for Democracy? Deutsche Welle, June 9, 2019, accessed June 10, 2019 . 
11. ↑ Kazakhstan election: Hundreds arrested in poll protests. BBC News, June 9, 2019, accessed June 10, 2019 . 
12. ↑ Kazakhstan, Early Presidential Election, June 9, 2019: Statement of Preliminary Findings and Conclusions. OSCE, accessed on June 13, 2019 (PDF).