ASTANA. April 27 (Interfax) - The election observation mission of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has lauded the April 26 presidential elections in Kazakhstan.

"The elections were utterly democratic and transparent," SCO election observation mission chief Dmitry Mezentsev said at a press briefing in Astana on Monday.

"Those who governed the elections did their best to hold the ballot in an organized way. People were standing in line at polling stations, and that was important because those lines featured senior citizens who are traditionally active in fulfilling their civil duty and lots of young people who take the destiny and the future of Kazakhstan close to heart and see this future as important," Mezentsev said.

"The elections exhibited the unity of the multi-national people of Kazakhstan," he said.

The mission has not received complaints or criticism from the voters, Mezentsev said.

"The elections were transparent, free and democratic and complied with the constitution of Kazakhstan, the constitutional law on elections and international commitments of the country. The mission did not observe violations of national election laws," the chief monitor underlined.

The nomination of 27 citizens for president was an important indicator of the active political life and the level of democratic processes evolving in the country, Mezentsev said.

"In accordance with the requirements set by national election laws, the Central Elections Commission registered three candidates for president [