In the village of Zhendik, Eskeldi District of the Zhetysu Region, a candidate for the position of akim of the Tulenguty Rural District, Duman Kozhantayev, was excluded from the election race after he gave flowers to four women.
According to ORDA, Kozhantayev's opponent Rasul Suyinbay photographed the giving of the gift and passed the information to the electoral commission. As a result, the electoral commission deemed the giving of flowers as bribery of voters, and Kozhantayev was removed from the list of candidates.
"Elections are a competition of the worthy, not a game of denunciations. If the seat goes not to the person who is stronger and smarter, but to the one who files a complaint fastest, then where are we heading? We are ashamed of this situation, ashamed that such methods are being used at all. This is not competition, but an outrageous situation. We are even embarrassed to talk about it out loud — it is too shameful for our village", local elders said indignantly.
Incidentally, Rasul Suyinbay's cousin, Saken Tukibayev, holds the position of head of the apparatus of the akim of the Zhetysu Region.
It is noted that the election of the akim of the Tulenguty Rural District of the Eskeldi District will take place on 16 March.