Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 May 2015
27. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views regarding the lack of a credible opposition to President Nazarbayev in the recent presidential elections in Kazakhstan; his further views regarding the freedom to organise a political opposition in Kazakhstan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19307/15]
View answerI refer the Deputy to my written reply to his question of 6 May concerning the Presidential election in Kazakhstan on 26 April.
My reply referred to the Statement of preliminary findings and conclusions by the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission which was deployed at the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan. This Statement identifies certain issues which give grounds for serious concern, including the lack of genuine choice for voters between political alternatives. The Statement also notes that President Nazarbayev and his political party dominate politics in Kazakhstan and the Statement expresses concern that there is a lack of credible opposition, with several prominent critics of the government either imprisoned or living in exile. At the UN Human Rights Council last October, Ireland spoke at the Universal Periodic Review of Kazakhstan and expressed the hope that Kazakhstan would receive a visit from Mr. Maina Kiai, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association.
We welcome the fact that this visit took place in January and we look forward to discussing the Special Rapporteur’s report of his visit next month at the Human Rights Council. It is also expected that the OSCE/ODIHR final report on the presidential elections is expected in the in coming weeks. In the interim, I would take this opportunity to renew my appeal to the Kazakh authorities to respond positively to the recommendations of the OSCE/ODIHR report, including previous OSCE/ODIHR recommendations not already addressed in the electoral law.
