Nazarbaev issued a decree on 7 August scheduling elections to the Senate (the upper Chamber of Kazakhstan's parliament) for 8 October. The Senate has 39 members, of whom seven are appointed by the president and the remainder are elected from the country's 14 oblasts and the cities of Astana and Almaty. Senators serve for a period of five years, and of those popularly elected, half are elected every three years. (Interfax)