According to the president, the low voter turnout in the parliamentary elections remains one of the most pressing issues. He noted that changes in electoral legislation over the past few years, the absence of administrative pressure, and the lack of involvement of doctors and teachers in campaigning did not lead to the expected results.
In the last elections to the Jogorku Kenesh, only about 37% of voters participated, which is just 200,000 more than in the previous elections.
Japarov emphasized that the government has created all the necessary conditions for convenient voting: polling stations were organized in shopping centers, remote participation was made accessible, and voting points were opened outside the country. Nevertheless, this did not contribute to an increase in turnout.
The president pointed out the paradox where citizens actively criticize the work of deputies but do not participate in elections themselves. In this regard, he proposed the idea of introducing mandatory voting and instructed the deputies of the Jogorku Kenesh to develop a corresponding bill. As possible measures, he mentioned introducing responsibilities, fines, or restrictions, similar to the practices in Singapore, up to a ban on participating in the next elections.
During the kurultai, the president asked the delegates who among them voted in the parliamentary elections, and almost all raised their hands. However, doubting the accuracy of the responses, Japarov promised to instruct the Central Election Commission to verify the information using electronic systems and announce the results at the next kurultai.
