Robert Barry, head of the OSCE's ODIHR Election Observer Mission, announced on 24 June in Astana that the OSCE will send observers to monitor Kazakhstan's 19 September elections to the Majilis, or lower house of parliament, Interfax-Kazakhstan reported.

The remarks came in the course of a meeting with Majilis speaker Zharmakhan Tuyakbai. According to Barry, the OSCE will send 20-30 long-term observers to monitor the entire election process and then 200-300 observers to watch polling places on Election Day.

The news agency reported that up to 8.5 million of Kazakhstan's 15 million people are expected to take part in the voting.

(RFE/RL 25.vi.04)