Kazakhstan’s Kurultai Election Looms: Is This Old Wine in a New Bottle?
The shape of the Kazakh legislature may have changed, but the politics of Kazakhstan have not necessarily been transformed.
On August 23, Kazakh citizens will vote for the 145-seat unicameral Kurultai, a new legislative body established following a constitutional referendum in June. The Kurultai replaces the previous bicameral parliament and is named after a traditional political and military council. Seven political parties are contesting the elections, with the newly formed Adilet party, led by Aibek Dadebay, expected to dominate.
Adilet, previously known as Amanat, secured 62 seats in the 2023 election of the 98-seat Majilis. Unlike the Majilis, where parties competed for seats based on constituency representation, the Kurultai uses proportional representation for all 145 seats. This change in election method may limit the variety of parties and individuals who can participate in governance.
Major Kazakh media outlets have not carried significant election coverage, focusing instead on topics such as free public transport in Almaty and Astana. Human rights organizations have expressed concerns over the persecution of journalists and media outlets ahead of the election, citing arrests, travel bans, and convictions against political commentators and journalists.
Written by urgent.news from The Diplomat's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
