Kazakh Election Commission Nixes CIS Observer Group

(RFE/RL) 21 November 2005 -- Kazakhstan's Central Election Commission has stripped the Russia-based nongovernmental group CIS Elections Monitoring Organization (CIS-EMO) of its accreditation, "Kazakhstan Today" reported on 18 November.
Deputy Prosecutor-General Askhat Dautbaev explained that Kazakhstan allows international organizations to monitor its elections, but he said the CIS-EMO is "a foreign NGO registered in Russia in accordance with that country's laws," Khabar reported.

"We made a mistake [in originally accrediting CIS-EMO]," Kazakh TV1 quoted Election Commission Chairman Onalsyn Zhumabekov as saying.

Meanwhile, CIS-EMO mission head Marina Bogdanovich said her organization intends to appeal the commission's decision, Khabar reported.

CIS-EMO was founded in Nizhnii Novgorod in December 2003, RFE/RL reported in April.

Its missions are distinct from official CIS observer missions, but the CIS-EMO has produced reports on recent CIS elections that were consistent with the findings of CIS observer missions and contrary to the findings of OSCE observer missions.

Kazakhstan's Presidential Election

Kazakhstan's Presidential Election



RFE/RL's complete coverage and background of Kazakhstan's presidential election on December 4, 2005.