Kazakhstan holds early elections to a new unicameral parliament
Kazakhstan is holding early elections to the new unicameral parliament — the Kurultai — on August 23. Voters are electing 145 deputies to the legislative body, which replaced the bicameral parliament consisting of the Mazhilis and the Senate. The elections, as Al Jazeera English reports, may strengthen the position of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
New parliamentary system
The new constitutional system came into force on July 1. On the same day, Tokayev signed a decree to hold early elections. Under the new model, the Kurultai considers legislation, and adopted laws are sent to the president.
To enter parliament, parties must receive at least 5% of the total vote. International representatives will observe the elections: the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly said it would send nearly 80 parliamentarians and staff from around 30 countries.
The constitutional changes provide for a single seven-year presidential term. At the same time, after completing his current second term, Tokayev will be able to run again, as the introduction of the new system resets the count of his time in office. In the 2022 presidential election, he won more than 80% of the vote.
Parties and expectations
Seven parties are taking part in the election: the newly created Adilet, Auyl, Ak Zhol, the People's Party of Kazakhstan, the Nationwide Social Democratic Party, Baitak, and Respublica. Amanat, a party that had dominated Kazakh politics under different names since the 1990s, voted in June to dissolve itself and join Adilet — a party led by senior Tokayev aides.
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Adilet, whose name means “justice,” is campaigning under the slogan “Fair Kazakhstan.” The party promises to raise household incomes, strengthen the economy, and improve public services, infrastructure, and digitalization. According to polls cited by Al Jazeera, it may win a large majority of votes, while several smaller parties may also enter parliament.
Kazakh political analyst Rustam Burnashev told Reuters that the election gives Tokayev an opportunity to remove figures associated with former President Nursultan Nazarbayev from the political scene. At the same time, in his view, a large-scale reform of the political system is unlikely.
Economy and foreign policy
The election is taking place amid economic growth, although higher taxes and inflation have affected the population's standard of living. According to Kazakhstan's Bureau of National Statistics, the country's GDP grew by 6.5% in 2025 — to approximately $335 billion.
Tokayev is focused on modernizing infrastructure and the economy and expanding Kazakhstan's ties with China, the European Union, and the United States. The country, which has traditionally maintained close ties with Russia, the aggressor state, has sought to play a neutral role in Russia's war against Ukraine and called for peace, Al Jazeera notes.
