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Adilet wins Kazakhstan’s Kurultai election
The election replaces Kazakhstan’s two-house parliament with a Kurultai where Adilet led preliminary results.
What happened
Kazakhstan held its first election for the single-chamber Kurultai after constitutional changes replaced its two-house parliament. Preliminary official results put the pro-presidential Adilet party first, while four other parties cleared the entry threshold. Critics noted that only state-approved parties loyal to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev were allowed to compete.
Numbers
- 71.17%Adilet’s preliminary share of votes — Preliminary official result
- 4 partiesOther parties entering the Kurultai — Cleared the entry threshold
- 145 seatsSeats in the new legislature
- 74%Eligible voters who cast ballots
Questions
- What is the Kurultai?
- It replaces the former two-chamber parliament as Kazakhstan’s single legislative chamber, elected entirely through party lists rather than mixed constituencies.
- Why was parliament redesigned?
- In the March referendum, voters backed abolishing the upper house; officials stated the change would speed decisions and expand parliament’s role.
- How did overseas voting work?
- Voting was arranged at diplomatic missions abroad, though Iran and Ukraine had no voting because of security concerns.
- What does this mean for Tokayev?
- A Constitutional Court ruling reset the clock on his earlier terms, allowing him to run for another term.
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Support and opposition
Who supports this, and why
Government officials — A single chamber lets Kazakhstan make decisions faster while giving parliament a greater role in political decision-making.
Who opposes this, and why
Election critics — Restricting the ballot to approved parties means the new parliament will reinforce presidential power rather than provide independent representation.
The catch
Final seat allocations and the election’s policy effects were not included in the coverage.