Candidates for maslikhat deputies may lose their registration for bribing voters and spreading false information about rivals. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
Regional prosecutors reminded of this while explaining the campaign rules ahead of the snap elections on November 29. Pre-election campaigning began on November 1 at 18:00 and will end at 00:00 on November 28. The prosecutor's office oversees compliance with electoral legislation at all stages of the campaign.
During campaigning, it is prohibited to provide voters with goods, services and securities free of charge or on preferential terms, to hold lotteries and charity events, to pay money or promise such advantages.
The prosecutor's office explained that such actions constitute improper pre-election campaigning and entail liability under Part 2 of Article 122 of the Code of Administrative Offenses.
An exception is provided for the free distribution of printed and illustrative materials, badges, flags and pennants specially produced for the election campaign.
At the same time, the consequences may not be limited to administrative punishment. If a court establishes facts of voter bribery or the dissemination by candidates, their authorized representatives or political parties of false information discrediting the honor and dignity of another candidate, election commissions may cancel the registration of the candidate or party list or remove a person from the list.
The law protects the right of candidates, their authorized representatives and political parties to campaign. Obstruction of this activity entails liability under Article 103 of the Administrative Offenses Code.
The dissemination of knowingly false information about candidates and parties or other actions discrediting their honor, dignity and business reputation with the aim of influencing the outcome of elections falls under Article 104 of the Administrative Offenses Code.
In addition, individuals and legal entities are prohibited from providing services related to pre-election activities to candidates and parties without their written consent. Liability for this is provided under Article 118 of the Administrative Offenses Code.
Separate articles of the code establish liability for:
All printed campaign materials must contain information about the organization that produced them, the place of printing, circulation, customers and the source of payment.
For users of online platforms, these requirements apply if they produced campaign materials on a contractual basis.
Mass media are obliged to cover the election campaign objectively and refrain from publishing campaign materials and other information that knowingly discredits the honor, dignity and business reputation of a candidate or party.
It is also necessary to provide the opportunity to publish a refutation free of charge. In a print publication, it must appear in the nearest issue — in the same volume, in the same font and in the same place where the refuted material was located.
Liability for violation of these requirements is provided under Article 112 of the Administrative Offenses Code.
The initiation of administrative cases on violations of electoral rights under Articles 101-126 of the Administrative Offenses Code falls under the exclusive competence of the prosecutor.
At the same time, citizens have the right to apply directly to court independently. In such a case, the case is considered without a prosecutor's resolution, but with his mandatory participation.
The prosecutor's office stated that for each identified fact of violation, measures provided by law will be taken.
Earlier, Kursiv reported that almost 11,000 candidates were registered for the maslikhat elections — on average, three people per mandate. Kazakhstanis will elect 3,447 deputies in 228 maslikhats. Voting will take place on November 29, and November 28 will be a day of silence.