New York Times 16 January 2012 This former Soviet republic, which in 20 years of independence has yet to hold an election that Western observers deemed to be fair, failed again over the weekend. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the main Western-backed group monitoring elections in the former Soviet Union, issued a statement on Monday that criticized the Kazakh authorities for deregistering parties and candidates at the

Joao Soares in the field on election day, 15 January 2012. ASTANA, 16 January 2012 – Notwithstanding the government's stated ambition to strengthen Kazakhstan's democratic processes and conduct elections in line with international standards, yesterday's early parliamentary vote still did not meet fundamental principles of democratic elections, the international observers concluded in a statement issued today. The elections were well

GAZETA.KZ 12 January 2012 OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is sending observers to Zhanaozen town of Mangystau region to monitor the early parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan on January 15. Joao Soares, head of OSCE PA Mission, announced this after his meeting with Kazakh Foreign Minister Yerzhan Kazykhanov on Thursday. Mr. Soares expressed hope for the full observance of human rights and freedoms in the Majilis elections, as stated during the

EURASIANET 12 January 2012 Voters in Kazakhstan will head to the polls on January 15 in a parliamentary election that is sure to be the tensest in the country's two decades of independence. The governing Nur Otan party, headed by President Nursultan Nazarbayev, is currently the only party represented in parliament, and seems certain to win an overwhelming majority of seats in the coming election. However, this vote follows a troubled 2011, when

COPENHAGEN, 11 January 2012 – The OSCE Chair-in-Office, Irish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore, on Monday appointed OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Emeritus Joao Soares Special Co-ordinator to lead the OSCE election observation mission to the 15 January early parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan. "I look forward to seeing how Kazakhstan's electoral process functions since legal changes were enacted after the 2007 parliamentary elections,"

VILNIUS, 7 December 2011 –Matteo Mecacci (Italy), Chair of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions today released the following statement regarding arrests made in Russia in the wake of parliamentary elections held Sunday: "The Russian Federation, like all OSCE participating States, has committed to uphold freedom of assembly and expression. The recent news from Moscow and elsewhere