On August 20, 2026, in Astana, the Republic of Kazakhstan, a delegation of the Observer Mission of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, led by Deputy Secretary-General T.R. Midhun, met with the Chairman of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nurlan Abdirov.
Nurlan Abdirov briefed the Mission on the progress of preparations for the elections of deputies of the Kurultai, scheduled for August 23, 2026. He noted that the upcoming elections are of historic significance, as they are being held on the basis of the new Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan, adopted at a national referendum in March 2026. He also informed the Mission members about the innovations in the electoral process, which include the transition to a proportional electoral system for electing Kurultai deputies, the introduction of a ban on displaying a completed ballot, the possibility of establishing polling stations in places with special working conditions, enhancing the inclusiveness of the electoral process, and others.
On August 21, a meeting took place between the SCO Observer Mission and the CIS Observer Mission, during which SCO Deputy Secretary-General T.R. Midhun and CIS First Deputy Secretary-General Igor Petrishenko exchanged information on the progress of monitoring the preparations for the elections and discussed current areas of cooperation between the two organizations.
