The United States concurs with ODIHR's preliminary statement that the overall electoral process in Kazakhstan fell far short of OSCE and international standards for open, free, and fair elections.

We are disappointed that the election process was carried out in a manner inconsistent with Kazakhstan's OSCE commitments. The conduct of the election has set back the process of democratization in Kazakhstan and unfortunately tarnished the country's international reputation.

Our challenge now is to learn from these mistakes, work to correct them, and take the necessary steps so that local and parliamentary elections scheduled for later this year will meet Kazakhstan's OSCE commitments. We urge Kazakhstan to work closely with ODIHR and with the new OSCE Centre in Almaty to support the development of democratic institutions and to promote a civil society in which citizens can fully exercise their human rights and freedoms.