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By Trend

The candidate supported by Kazakhstan’s current President Nursultan Nazarbayev will win the upcoming early presidential election, Jos Boonstra, Head of the Eurasia program at FRIDE think tank believes.

“This is most likely himself as this does not seem the right time for a presidential succession,” Boonstra told Trend on March 10.

The expert noted that Kazakhstan is under economic stress and worries increase of a more serious economic downturn over the coming years.

“Most likely the Kazakh government feels it needs a new and enforced mandate to address the economic challenges as well as international worries such as its relationship with Russia and the countries’ membership of the Eurasian Economic Union,” he added.

The early presidential election was proposed by the Council of the People’s Assembly of Kazakhstan. Major political parties, including the ruling party Nur Otan, the Democratic Party of Kazakhstan Ak Zhol and Communist People’s Party of Kazakhstan supported the initiative.

Both houses of the national parliament - Senate and Majilis - requested President Nursultan Nazarbayev to call an early presidential election. The country’s Constitutional Council has not found legislative restrictions for setting the date of an early election by the president.
The early presidential election in Kazakhstan was scheduled for April 26.

A total number of 14 candidates nominated themselves for the participation in the election so far. President Nazarbayev has not proposed his candidacy for the election yet.

Kazakh president is elected by the citizens of age of the republic on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot for a term of five years, according to the Constitution of Kazakhstan. The candidate must be a Kazakh citizen by birth not younger than 40 years old, fluent in the state language and who has lived in Kazakhstan for the recent 15 years may be elected president of Kazakhstan.

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