Kazakh opposition politician Zhasaral Quanyshalin has announced his decision to take part in the country's next presidential election and asked NGOs to help him get his name on the ballot.
In his video statement on Facebook on September 16, Quanyshalin called on nongovernmental organizations that have at least nine branches across the country to help him get registered as a candidate as required under Kazakh election law.
Quanyshalin is the second politician to express his willingness to run for president in the Central Asian country since President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev announced on September 1 that the next presidential poll would be held more than two years ahead of schedule.
Toqaev said he plans to take part in the election, the date of which is expected to be set next week.
The 73-year-old Quanyshalin was a lawmaker in 1994-95. He later turned into a staunch critic of the government and tried several times to register a political party, but his attempts were rejected.
