Nurzhan lists and unions open talks on a "Civic Union" ticket

NURZHAN — The civic lists that hold Nurzhan's seats in the Mejlis have opened talks with the city's independent unions on a single candidate for Governor in 2027 and joint lists for the Mejlis and the city council, the deputy Yevgeny Sergeev said yesterday. The Nurzhan press has begun calling the talks the "Civic Union", a name Mr. Sergeev said he "would not object to, provided nobody registers it as a party".

Taking part are the three civic-list deputies, Mr. Sergeev, Kseniya Shubina and Bohdan Klymenko; the refinery workers' union Neftyanik; the Irad Temir Jolu railway union; the Nurzhanmash works union; and the Labor Association. Mr. Sergeev, who convened the first meeting at the Nurzhanmash palace of culture on Thursday, described the arrangement as "a council of people who run lists and people who run unions, nothing more".

There is no agreement on a candidate. The civic lists favour Oleg Zubarev, the heating engineer who came second in 2023 with 4.61 percent. Vasily Yakovlev, the chairman of Neftyanik, said his union and the railwaymen wanted the councillor Elena Petrova, "who knows what a shift is". Mr. Zubarev has not declared. Ms. Petrova said only that she was "at the table".

Neither Kamran Bekzatov nor Damira Kenesbay, who came third in 2023, was at the meeting. Asked about 2027, Dr. Kenesbay repeated her usual answer: "Ask me about water." The Department of Public Information said it had "no comment on conversations between private citizens".