Expert report on elections presented in Kazakhstan

Experts of the Information-Analytical Center for Post-Soviet Space of the Eurasian Expert Forum presented a report on recent presidential elections in Kazakhstan on Thursday.

The report was entitled “Presidential elections in Kazakhstan. A view from Russia”.

A video conference of Astana and Kiev was held at a regional office of RIA Novosti in Central Asia. Kazakhstan will hold presidential elections on April 3.

Authors of the report, supervised by a Russian political analyst Alexey Vlasov, believe that the political situation in Kazakhstan is being formed under the following factors.

The interior political situation is stable. 56% of the population trust the government. President Nursultan Nazarbayev has a rating of over 75%. Public support of other political institutes, such as the Nur Otan Party, is high as well, although it is lower than Nazarbayev’s rating.

Nazarbayev from the ruling party Nur Otan, Zhambyl Ahmetbekov, chairman of the Communist Party, Senator Gani Kasymov, leader of the Patriot Party, and Mels Yeleusizov, leader of the Tagibat eco-union, are running for president.

Experts say that macroeconomic indicators in the country remain stable. The social aspect is positive. Although, there are still risks, such as employment problems, lack of efficient social lifts for youth, corruption.
Inter-ethnic relations are stable. Inter-ethnic tensions have reduced in the last months. Early elections played a positive role as an appeasing factor for the elite.

Experts believe that the president’s decisions to stay at power for as long as health conditions allow him to form a positive psychological background for the Kazakh elite.

The report was presented at the Moscow State University on March 17.