26 Apr 2019 18:55

Kazakhstan's Social Democratic Party decides to boycott presidential elections

ALMATY. April 26 (Interfax) - A congress of the opposition National Social-Democratic Party in Kazakhstan on Friday resolved to boycott the early presidential elections that are due on June 9, an Interfax correspondent reports.

Editor of Obshchestvennaya Pozitsia - DAT newspaper Yermurat Bapi whom the party previously planned to nominate presidential candidate told the congress that he refuses to run.

"It is not worth acting as an extra and adding legitimacy to these elections. I withdraw my candidacy," Bapi said.

In addition, some ten delegates who spoke one after another said they don't believe the upcoming elections will be fair.

The congress passed the resolution on the boycott by a majority of 36 against 3.

The congress resolution says that once again Kazakhstan "launched a mechanism of early presidential elections without a choice."

"This will mean the maximum application of administrative levers, sweeping falsifications and other breaches of election legislation that have long turned public voting into a primitive and shameful farce," the resolution says.

Social Democrats did not nominate their candidate or take part in the previous early presidential elections in April 2015 saying that the premature arrangement of the elections did not give them an opportunity to properly prepare for them.

The presidential elections in Kazakhstan are slated for June 9.