EXPERTS SAY NEW KAZAKH E-VOTING SYSTEM RULES OUT HACKING, FALSIFYING RESULTS
Khabar Television, Almaty
11 Sep 04
(Presenter) A special group of experts has checked the (Saylau)
electronic voting system. It recommended in Astana today that a state
commission pass a resolution to introduce Saylau.
Scientists and representatives from political parties carried out
the checks and said that hacking into the system and falsifying the
election results were ruled out.
An international association of election observers also received
accreditation from the Central Electoral Commission.
(Correspondent) The checking of the electronic voting system lasted
for a week. The expert group included IT specialists, including from
the National Security Committee, and representatives from political
parties – 16 people in total.
Saylau was first tested for reliability and the possibility of
falsifying the election results. The experts did not find any breaches
and loopholes for hackers.
(Nikolay Borelko, vice-president of the National Information
Technologies joint-stock company, captioned, speaking at a meeting)
One can say with confidence that the electronic voting system is
protected far more reliably from falsifying the results than the
system involving paper ballots.
(Correspondent) It now depends on the state commission whether Saylau
will be used in the forthcoming election to the Majlis (parliament’s
lower chamber scheduled for 19 September). It should pass a resolution
to introduce the new system in the election. Should the innovation
be approved, then the residents of 17 wards (of the country) at most
will be able to vote with the electronic system, the chairwoman of
the Central Electoral Commission (Zagipa Baliyeva) said at another
testing of the system today.
Zagipa Baliyeva said that the Central Electoral Commission was ready
to introduce the Saylau system in all 177 wards. However, the head
of state (President Nursultan Nazarbayev) believes that no more than
10 per cent of voters should vote using the new system, i.e. only
residents of regions which are technically more advanced.
The results of the electronic system will be known about 12 hours
earlier than those of the system involving ballot papers – this is
an advantage of Saylau.
(Zagipa Baliyeva, chairwoman of the Central Electoral Commission,
captioned, interviewed) At 2000 when voting ends (1300-1500 gmt),
a program to calculate the votes is run. At about 2005 or later,
depending how far constituencies are away (from Astana) – at 2030 we
shall know the results.
(Correspondent) Kazakhstan is the first country in the CIS to introduce
the electronic voting system and this explains the heightened attention
of international organizations to our election. Zagipa Baliyeva
handed over a further 140 observer cards today. Representatives from
the association of election observers received accreditation. The
association was set up by NGOs from Kazakhstan, Russia, Kyrgyzstan,
Armenia and Ukraine in July 2004.
The Central Electoral Commission has already registered 800 (foreign)
observers.
(Video shows a meeting, people working at computers, lists of mock
candidates, people training in using the electronic system, Baliyeva
around people, Baliyeva speaking, computer screens)