Voters went to the polls in Kazakhstan on Sunday for a snap parliamentary election following a major overhaul of the country’s legislative system. The vote for the 145 seats of the new unicameral Kurultai aims to strengthen President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s rule while shifting from a dual-chamber parliament.
Kazakhstan Reshapes Its Legislature With a New Unicameral Kurultai
Voting is officially under way across Kazakhstan for a snap parliamentary election expected to strengthen President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s rule over the nation of 21 million people. The election arrives just weeks after the country revamped its entire legislative framework, transitioning from a traditional dual-chamber parliament to a single-chamber model. Under the new constitutional changes, the newly created Kurultai takes over legislative consideration for the country’s 145 seats, replacing the former bicameral system that featured the Mazhilis and Senate.
The shift follows a decree signed by President Tokayev on the very day the new constitutional system came into effect on July 1. According to reporting from national outlet Astana Times cited by Al Jazeera, Rustam Burnashev noted that legislation passed through the Mazhilis before moving to the Senate, and that under the new model, the Kurultai concentrates legislative consideration before adopted laws are sent to the President. Under this updated model, presidents are restricted to a single seven-year term. However, because the introduction of the new legislature resets his time in office, Tokayev is eligible to run for a third seven-year term once his current second term concludes. He secured his previous presidential mandate in 2022 with more than 80 percent of the vote.
Seven Parties Field Candidates as Political Landscape Shifts
Seven political parties are contesting Sunday’s election. Among them are the newly formed Adilet party, Auyl, Aq Jol, the People’s Party of Kazakhstan, the Nationwide Social Democratic Party, Baytaq, and Respublica. Amanat—the political party that dominated Kazakh politics under various names since the 1990s—voted to dissolve itself in June and merge into Adilet, a new party led by top aides to Tokayev. Political analysts note the move was largely designed to distance the ruling establishment from the legacy of former President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who led the country from 1991 to 2019.
Nazarbayev was once a close mentor to Tokayev, but his lengthy rule became heavily associated with corruption, civil unrest, and authoritarianism. Running on a platform branded as Just Kazakhstan
, Adilet has pledged to raise household incomes, strengthen the economy, and improve infrastructure and public services. Around Almaty, the country’s largest city, election posters promoting Adilet have been ubiquitous for weeks, according to the Reuters news agency.
International Observers and Domestic Skepticism
International scrutiny surrounds the ballot. The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly announced that nearly 80 parliamentarians and staff members from roughly 30 countries have been deployed to observe the voting process.
Opinion polls indicate that the newly established Adilet party is positioned to win a large majority of the vote, alongside smaller opposition parties that analysts view as broadly loyal to the current administration. Kazakh political analyst Rustam Burnashev told Reuters that while the snap vote gives Tokayev an opportunity to phase out figures tied to his predecessor, a sweeping political system reform remains unlikely.
Rustam Burnashev, a Kazakh political analyst, stated that all the parliamentary candidates are known and added that one cannot say the parliament itself will be a transformative one.
Economic Pressures Shape Voter Sentiments
Despite Kazakhstan enjoying rapid economic growth in recent years, mounting tax increases and inflation have placed a heavy burden on everyday living standards. Voters expressed mixed expectations at the polling stations regarding whether political shifts would translate into tangible household relief.
Atapsha, a 73-year-old fruit seller who declined to provide his full name, told Reuters that he intended to cast a ballot despite holding modest expectations for immediate change.
Atapsha, a fruit seller, noted that he is 73 years old and has been waiting for things to get better for 73 years, adding that so far, nothing has really worked out.
To secure a presence in the new government, political parties must clear a mandatory threshold of receiving at least 5 percent of the overall vote.
