Kazakhstani President vetoes Constitutional Council's decision not to hold election in Zhanaozen

The President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev has vetoed the ruling of the Constitutional Council that the holding of parliamentary elections in Zhanaozen was impossible. "By exercising his right of veto the president aimed to address the concerns of the Zhanaozen residents that their constitutional rights were being restricted. Thus the purpose of the president's decision is to allow the residents of Zhanaozen to elect their representatives or be elected to the local and national parliaments," the statement said. Yesterday Bulat Abilov, member of the public commission and OSDP co-chairman stated that Nur Otan party would have lost their votes in Zhanaozen, if the parliamentary elections had been held there. According to him that was the main reason for extending the state of emergency and calling off the elections in Zhanaozen.