positions. International criticisms As of March 2015, none of the elections held in Kazakhstan have been considered free or fair by Western countries or international observers. The 1999 Presidential election attracted criticism from the United States and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) who considered that harassment and intimidation of opposition candidates and supporters and the disqualification of an opponent of Nazarbayev had made a meaningful election impossible. The OSCE criticised the 2011 presidential election, citing a lack of press freedom, transparency and competition. Following the 2005 election, they noted a number of issues, including ballot tampering, multiple voting, intimidation and harassment of opposition candidates and their supporters, media bias and official restrictions on free expression. Latest election Preliminary results See also Electoral calendar Electoral system References External links The Central Election Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kazakhstan Elections Adam Carr's Election Archive OSCE reports on Kazakhstani elections Elections