Kazakhstan accredits 155 more international election observers

Speaking at a CEC meeting, Deputy Chairman Mukhtar Yerman said the election campaign has attracted significant interest from international observers representing both European countries and the CIS.

"As of August 3, 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has submitted 155 candidates for accreditation to the CEC, representing nine foreign countries and four international organizations," Yerman said.

The newly accredited observers include 86 representatives from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, 22 from the CIS Observer Mission, 23 from the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS, and six from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO PA).

The list also includes observers from Russia (3), Azerbaijan (2), Armenia (2), Jordan (2), Kyrgyzstan (2), Moldova (2), Myanmar (2), Romania (2), and Ukraine (1).

The missions bring together 74 lawmakers from 29 countries, including Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye, and the UK, among others.

In addition, 12 delegations from foreign election management bodies have been accredited. Seven of them will be led by the heads of the central election commissions of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Pakistan, and Russia, while their counterparts from Tajikistan, Türkiye, and Uzbekistan have also confirmed their participation in the observation mission.

With the latest approvals, the CEC has now accredited 251 international observers from foreign countries and international organizations. The commission said the list will continue to be updated as additional nominations are received.

According to Azamat Aimanakumov, a member of the CEC, a total of 12,605,788 voters have been included in the electoral rolls.

Earlier, the first round of the national televised debates was broadcast live on the Qazaqstan TV channel, where representatives of the seven political parties running for Qurultay seats presented their election platforms.

On July 1, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev decreed that elections to the Qurultay of the Republic of Kazakhstan would be held on August 23, 2026. The Central Election Commission approved the calendar plan for the preparation and conduct of the elections, as well as the list of political parties eligible to participate in the elections.