n Kazakhstan today an early presidential election is taking place. It is the fifth in the recent history of this republic with a population of over 17.4 million people.
There are three candidates for the highest office in the country – the leader of the ruling party "Nur Otan" ("Light of the Fatherland") incumbent President Nursultan Nazarbayev, a member of the Communist People's Party of Kazakhstan (KNPC) Turgun Syzdykov and self-promoted candidate, chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of Kazakhstan Abelgazi Kusainov.
Apart from Nazarbayev, who this year will celebrate his 75th birthday, none of the candidates have experience of participation in a presidential election race.
Registration of candidates for the presidency ended on 25 March. On March 26, the country started campaigning. The number of registered voters in the current year amounted to almost 9.5 million people. The total number of polling stations, including foreign, is more than 9.7 thousand.
Yesterday, in accordance with legislation, Kazakhstan passed the "day of silence". Any campaigning for candidates was banned.
Incumbent President Nursultan Nazarbayev has already voted in the election for the President. After the vote at polling station number 81, which is located in the Palace of Students, he stressed the importance of the early elections for the further development of the country.
