Kaztalovka: Entire Election Commission Dismissed Following Lawsuit Filed by Observers

The entire precinct election commission in Kaztalovka was dismissed after independent observers challenged the results of the July 13 Akim elections, Orda.kz reports.

According to Uralskaya Nedelya editor-in-chief Tamara Yeslyamova, the commission was disbanded following a lawsuit filed by members of the public association Jariya. The group demanded that results from one polling station be annulled and that the commission members be held accountable for violations:

My dream is for every citizen in Kazakhstan to become an independent election observer. Of course, not everyone can physically fit into the polling station, but imagine citizens showing up on election day, casting their votes, and then waiting at the doors for the commission chair to announce the final results after the count. 

She emphasized that public involvement is the only way to dismantle the entrenched system:

During the July 13 election for Akim of the Kaztalovsky District, Jariya observers documented numerous violations. At one polling station, the commission allegedly acted aggressively and disregarded electoral law. 

After Jariya filed a legal complaint, the judge personally contacted voters and uncovered falsified signatures and forged applications for remote voting.

These findings formed the basis for a private judicial ruling against the territorial election commission (TEC). Without waiting for a final court verdict, the TEC declared the results from polling station No. 222 invalid and dismissed the entire precinct commission, including its chairperson.

However, observers were dissatisfied when the TEC later included the invalidated results in the official protocol. They accused the commission of spreading false information and demanded that the announcement be withdrawn.

Observers also filed two additional lawsuits related to other polling stations where similar violations were recorded.

Jariya representative Nurbolat Satagulov said trained commission members had committed blatant falsifications. He emphasized that this case must serve as a warning for all future election commissions.

Original Author: Artyom Volkov