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Opposition Accused Of Trying To Destabilize Kazakhstan


28 September 2004 -- Kazakhstan's ruling party accused the opposition today of trying to destabilize the country by questioning the legitimacy of a recent parliamentary election.

The Otan party, led by President Nursultan Nazarbaev, said in a statement that its victory in the 19 September election was honest and the result of "painstaking work." It accused the opposition of "deliberately straining the political situation" and attempting to "undermine the country's international image."

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the United States have both said the vote fell short of democratic standards.

According to final results published in the official press today, Otan earned seven out of the 10 seats distributed among parties, and an Otan official said the party won 31 of the 67 other seats in the lower chamber that are directly elected.

The opposition Ak Zhol party earned one seat in party-list voting. Ak Zhol and two other opposition parties have accused authorities of falsifying the election outcome.

(AP)

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