Kazakhstani legislative election, 2012

Parliamentary elections were held in Kazakhstan on 15 January 2012. The result was a victory for the Nur Otan party, which won 83 of the 98 seats in the Mazhilis. However, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) stated that the election "did not meet fundamental principles of democratic elections."<ref name=RFE>OSCE Monitors Criticize Kazakh Vote Failings Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 16 January 2012</ref>

Background

The elections marked the first time that the second-placed party would gain parliamentary seats irrespective of whether it cleared the 7% electoral threshold.<ref name="referl"/> Due to the 2011 Mangystau riots and the resulting state of emergency there, the election was not planned to be held in Zhanaozen.<ref>Parliamentary Elections Canceled in Restive Kazakh City Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 10 January 2012</ref> However, this decision was overturned on 10 January 2012.<ref>Kazakhstan riot town Zhanaozen can go to the polls BBC News, 10 January 2012</ref>

Campaign

Seven parties ran in the election: Nur Otan, Democratic Party of Kazakhstan Ak Zhol, Kazakhstani Social Democratic Party Auyl, Democratic Party Adilet, Nationwide Social Democratic Party (OSDP), Party of Patriots of Kazakhstan and the Communist People's Party of Kazakhstan. The OSDP was the only party considered to be in opposition to long-time president Nursultan Nazarbayev.<ref name="referl">At Least One Party To Enter New Kazakh Assembly Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 16 January 2012</ref>

Results

Party	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
Nur Otan	5,621,436	80.99	83	–15
Democratic Party of Kazakhstan Ak Zhol	518,405	7.47	8	+8
Communist People's Party of Kazakhstan	498,788	7.19	7	+7
Nationwide Social Democratic Party	116,534	1.68	0	0
Kazakhstani Social Democratic Party Auyl	82,623	1.19	0	0
Party of Patriots	57,732	0.83	0	0
Democratic Party Adilet	45,702	0.66	0	New
Invalid/blank votes	77,707	–	–	–
Total	7,018,927	100	98	0
Registered voters/turnout	9,303,693	75.44	–	–
Source: Adam Carr

Reactions

The opposition claimed there was widespread irregularities and fraud. The OSCE and US Department of State did not recognise the elections as democratic.<ref>Kazakh ruling party wins 80.74 per cent in vote: early result Dawn, 16 January 2012</ref>

Miklos Haraszti, the head of the OSCE's long-term election-observation mission, criticized what he called a "tightly controlled campaign environment in which the electoral rights of the citizens were seriously limited." "There was limited public debate and the media, the mass media operates in an environment characterized by self-censorship and in which there is no room for editorial independence in the broadcast media." Haraszti said the "results of the election, including the presence of two parties apart from the state party, can be described as an orchestrated election."<REF NAME=RFE/>