Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on the Parliamentary elections in the Republic of Kazakhstan

The European Union takes note of the Parliamentary elections in the Republic of Kazakhstan, which were held on 19 September 2004 with a second round on 3 October 2004.

The European Union acknowledges the Statement of Preliminary Findings and Conclusions of the International Election Observation Mission (IEOM) led by OSCE/ODIHR and welcomes some improvements made since the last elections. These include improvements on the election law, providing for increased transparency of the overall election process. The European Union also welcomes other developments on party registration and domestic observers, as noted in the IEOM report.

The European Union also notes, however, the IEOM's conclusion that in many respects the election process fell short of OSCE commitments and other international standards for democratic elections. Some of the problems communicated before the elections to the authorities of Kazakhstan were indeed witnessed in the pre-election period and on the day itself. These included the non-transparent introduction of electronic voting and strong media bias in coverage of the campaign.

Other problems also affected in a negative way voter confidence in the election process. For example, there were difficulties with aspects of the functioning of the Central Election Committee, the composition of election commissions, the system for handling complaints and the inaccuracy of voter registration.

The European Union also notes that protocols remained unavailable in many polling stations. In this context, the European Union calls on the Kazakhstani authorities to fully investigate the serious allegations made by political parties that the elections were in a number of places marred by fraudulent actions.

Furthermore, the European Union remains concerned that two prominent opposition leaders, Mr Galymzhan Zhakianov and Mr Bulat Abilov, could not run for office.

The European Union encourages the authorities of Kazakhstan to continue their efforts further to improve the framework for elections and to take the necessary steps to ensure that the next elections fully meet international standards. The European Union stands ready to offer its assistance in this respect, in cooperation with the OSCE.

The Candidate Countries Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey and Croatia, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this declaration.

Croatia continues to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process