Opposition quitting Kazakh election viewed as "welcomed" step

ASTANA, March 3 (Itar-Tass) - Yermukhamet Yertysbayev, a councilor to incumbent Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, has declared on Thursday that he views the refusal of the Kazakh opposition to take part in the early presidential election scheduled for April 3 as "a gift to the authorities."
"The radical opposition represented by Azat (freedom) social-
democratic party and the Communist party decided to boycott the
presidential election, which we believe is a big present to us -
representatives of the authorities," Yertysbayev told Itar-Tass on
Thursday. The authorities had been preparing for a serious struggle
precisely with this wing of the opposition, the councilor said. "But, they have dropped out for reasons of organizational, ideological, financial insufficiency and because they were not prepared for the election. We attempted neither persuade nor force anyone to register so as to create a real alternative in the election," the councilor said. "The candidates we have already will be competing," he said.
"Those who decided to challenge the now president not merely took a step, but did a very rational act. After the main rivals gave up the struggle the protest electorate will not vanish and will vote for Nazarbayev," the councilor said.
The councilor views the opposition's boycott of the election as "an absolutely unreasonable position which vividly demonstrates the absense of a system opposition in Kazakhstan." "The opposition has not turned into authoritative force and poses absolutely no threat to the authorities in organizational and structural aspects," the councilor said.
He believes that Kazakhstan needs a new political opposition "which has been ripening already as young candidates appear. After the election a process of restructuring will be launched in Kazakhstan, on its party and political field," Yertysbayev said.