The Organization of Turkic States (OTS) has assessed the elections to Kazakhstan's new unicameral parliament, the Kurultai. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Sputnik Kazakhstan.
Nuru Guliyev, head of the OTS observer mission, said no violations were detected during voting and that everything was conducted in accordance with Kazakhstan's legislation.
"Our mission visited 32 polling stations to monitor the process. During various observations, the mission found no violations or obstacles in the independent work of polling stations and can state that all necessary administrative measures were taken on election day to ensure the free expression of citizens' will," Guliyev said.
All conditions were provided for both voters and observers during the elections, he added.
"The elections were held openly in accordance with national and international standards. We congratulate the citizens of the fraternal Republic of Kazakhstan on the successful holding of the elections and would like to once again express our hope that the results will contribute to further strengthening stability and prosperity in the country, as well as deepening bilateral and multilateral relations with the Turkic world," said Nuru Guliyev.
Osman Mesten, Chairman of the Commission on Legal Affairs and International Relations of TurkPA and a member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, told a Sputnik correspondent that the name of Kazakhstan's new parliament, Kurultai, was well received by Turkish observers.
"The name Kurultai reflects the rich history and powerful civilization of Turkic history. It also reflects our common history. Therefore, the Turkic world views these Kurultai elections in Kazakhstan positively," he said.
Osman Mesten also recalled that until 1980, Turkey had a bicameral parliament, where the upper house, like in Kazakhstan, was called the Senate. He noted that abandoning this system accelerated decision-making.