Pro-government party sweeps Kazakhstans first single-chamber parliament vote

Kazakhstan’s pro-government Adilet Party won 71.17% of the vote in the country’s parliamentary election, according to preliminary results announced Monday by the central electoral commission. The poll, held Sunday, was the first for Kazakhstan’s new single-chamber parliament, the Kurultai, following a constitutional overhaul approved in a March referendum.

Four other parties cleared the 5% threshold required for parliamentary representation: Auyl with 6.26%, Respublica, Aq Jol, and the Nationwide Social Democratic Party. Voter turnout reached 74.08% among the 12.6 million eligible voters, the commission said.

The election solidifies President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s control, as all parties entering parliament support his policies, according to monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The OSCE noted a lack of distinct political opposition, with “all contesting parties supporting the incumbent president’s policies.”

Adilet, led by former head of Tokayev’s presidential administration, absorbed the previous ruling party, Amanat, earlier this year. Political analyst Daniyar Ashimbayev said voter support for the ruling party increased by around 20 percentage points compared to the last parliamentary election, while turnout rose by a similar margin. Analyst Gaziz Abishev estimated the 145-seat Kurultai would allocate 110 seats to Adilet, 10 to Auyl, nine to Respublica, and eight each to Aq Jol and the Nationwide Social Democratic Party.

The constitutional changes, which took effect July 1, replaced Kazakhstan’s two-chamber parliament with the Kurultai and granted Tokayev the authority to appoint key officials, subject to lawmakers’ approval. Last month, the Constitutional Court ruled the amendments reset Tokayev’s term count, allowing him to seek another seven-year term in 2029.

Tokayev, 73, has led Kazakhstan since 2019 and has sought to balance relations with Moscow and the West amid sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine. He cast his ballot in Astana and said he would present a candidate for vice president to the Kurultai within 10 days. He also announced plans to establish the Qazaqstan Halyq Kenesi, or People’s Council of Kazakhstan, and launch large-scale construction projects nationwide.

The election follows deadly unrest in January 2022, which Tokayev described as an attempted coup. Official figures reported 238 deaths during the violence.