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Kazakh CEC decides to cancel general elections in Zhanaozen

Nazarbayev imposed there the state of emergency on December 17, which will last till the end of January

ASTANA, January 6 (Itar-Tass) — Elections of deputies to the lower chamber of the national parliament, scheduled for January 15, will not be held in the city of Zhanaozen, western Kazakhstan. The republican Central Election Commission took an appropriate decision at its meeting on Friday.

CEC deputy chairman Vladimir Foos explained that this decision was taken in connection with the state of emergency in Zhanaozen, imposed by a decree of President Nursultan Nazarbayev. Special elections of deputies to the lower chamber of parliament and regular elections of deputies to local bodies of self- government, scheduled for January 15, 2012 in the city of Zhanaozen. Mangistauskaya Region, will not be held in connection with the operation of the state of emergency,” Foos said.

At the same time, the CEC deputy chairman added that regular elections of the city council and the regional legislative assembly, to be elected according to constituencies, formed in Zhanaozen, will be fixed and held after ditching the state of emergency in the city.

In compliance with a decision, taken by the CEC, election commissions of the Mangistauskaya Region are “to stop their work on preparing and holding elections, despite adopted decisions on these questions”.

The republican Constitutional Court passed a decision on Friday that “in connection with impossibility of ensuring free will and full implementation of constitutional rights as well as freedoms of citizens under conditions of operation of the state of emergency, the elections in Zhanaozen would not be held”.

As many as 16 people were killed and dozens were wounded in mass rioting with the participation of workers of oil producing companies (earlier sacked because of strikes) in Zhanaozen on December 16, 2011 on the day when Kazakhstan celebrated the 20th anniversary of its independence.

Nazarbayev imposed there the state of emergency on December 17, which will last till the end of January. Now the curfew is in operation in the city, motor traffic is limited, while rallies are banned, and snapshots and video filming is restricted.

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