The Kazakh Central Electoral Commission announced on 2nd
September that the leader of the opposition Republic People's
Party of Kazakhstan, Akezhan Kazhegeldin, a former prime
minister, was not entitled to stand in the elections to the
lower house of parliament, the Majlis, scheduled for 10th
October 1999, but left a last-minute loophole.

Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency reporting the same day,
quoted the Central Electoral Commission chairwoman , Zagipa
Baliyeva, as saying: "Former Prime Minister Akezhan
Kazhegeldin, the leader of the Republic People's Party of
Kazakhstan, cannot be registered as a candidate for a
parliamentary seat because of the disciplinary measure taken
against him under Article 185 of the Administrative Code for
`contempt of court'".

Baliyeva added that Kazhegeldin had the right to appeal to
a higher court for the disciplinary measure to be annulled, in
which case the court "under the constitutional law on elections
is obliged to consider the appeal within five days".
Registration closes on 9th September.

Processing in full from Kazakh TV version, for release by

1700 gmt 2nd September.
Source: Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency, Almaty, in Russian
1123 gmt 02 Sep 99
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