International observers from the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly do not question the free choice of citizens in the Kurultai elections in Kazakhstan. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Sputnik Kazakhstan.
Andrei Kartapolov, coordinator of the observer group and chairman of the Russian State Duma's Defense Committee, stated that after visiting more than ten polling stations in Astana and suburban areas, the international observers found no violations. In an interview with a Sputnik Kazakhstan correspondent, he noted the high level of organization at the polling stations.
"We saw that people are coming to the elections consciously. There is no evidence of anyone forcing or directing anyone in a certain direction," said Andrei Kartapolov.
According to him, the CSTO mission has been monitoring elections in Kazakhstan for several years, and no doubts have arisen regarding the free choice of voters. "Today we saw this with our own eyes. [...] We witnessed approximately the same picture everywhere: everything is ready, everything is at a high level, everything is calm. People come and vote for their future," he added.
Kartapolov also highly praised the work of the Central Election Commission of Kazakhstan, calling it "magnificent." He also noted the high voter turnout.