Kazakhstan, Astana, March 31 / Trend, A. Maratov /
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev's three rivals for the presidency in the upcoming snap elections are actively covered in all media outlets, Adviser to the Kazakh President Yermukhamet Yertysbayev told Trend.
"If you look at the pre-election programs of the rest of the three presidential candidates, then I must say that their pre-election campaigns are very rich. And I am surprised to see that they are daily covered in all media outlets," Yertysbayev said.
However, he said, the political techniques used by candidate Zhambyl Ahmetbekov have caused his surprise.
"Ahmetbekov is nominated from the Communist Party. He has created a leftist Communist platform with the traditional demands of nationalization and is spreading his word in the depressed regions of Kazakhstan where poor people live. These political techniques are surprising," Yertysbayev said.
He said another presidential candidate Gani Kasimov has created his pre-election speeches on open political populism.
"This is a mistake, as the 2005 elections showed that populism will not work. Kazakhs are educated voters and understand it," he said.
Yertysbayev believes that current president will win the upcoming elections by a great margin.
"I, as a civil servant, cannot agitate, but under Article 20 of the Constitution on the freedom of speech, you ask and I answer you, the president will win by a great margin," he said.
The preelection campaign in Kazakhstan will end on April 1, and the presidential elections will be held on April 3. Four candidates passed registration at the Kazakh Central Election Commission and will continue to participate in the snap presidential elections scheduled
for April 3. The candidates are Nursultan Nazarbayev, Communist Zhambyl Ahmetbekov, Leader of the Patriots Party, Senator Gani Kasimov and Tabiyat Ecological Union leader Mels Eleusizov.
Experts believe Nazarbayev might easily win the election. Nazarbayev, who has been in power for over 20 years, is supported by about 90 percent of the population.