Kazakhstan Holds First Election for New Unicameral Legislature
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Kazakhstan Holds First Election for New Unicameral Legislature
- Kazakhstan is holding its first parliamentary election for the newly established, unicameral Kurultai on August 23, 2026, with 145 members to be elected.
- This election is part of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's "New Kazakhstan" reform program, initiated after widespread civil unrest in January 2022.
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Kazakhstan is preparing for its tenth legislative election since gaining independence in 1991, and the first for its new unicameral legislature, the Kurultai, on August 23, 2026. This election follows a constitutional referendum in 2026 that replaced the bicameral Parliament with the Kurultai, which officially came into force on July 1, 2026. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree calling for these elections on the same day the new constitution entered into effect.
The election is a key component of President Tokayev’s “New Kazakhstan” concept, a program of reforms first proposed in 2022 following significant civil unrest, often referred to as the January Events or Bloody January. These protests, which began over increased fuel prices and escalated into broader grievances about corruption and inequality, resulted in 227 deaths and over 9,900 arrests. In response, Tokayev announced reforms aimed at modernizing the political system and strengthening civil society, including improvements to the electoral system and expanding opportunities for political parties.
The Kurultai will consist of 145 deputies, all elected under a proportional representation system in one nationwide district, with a 5% threshold for valid votes. This marks a departure from the previous bicameral Parliament, which included an elected lower house (Mazhilis) and a Senate with appointed members. Seven political parties have been approved to participate in the election. The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) has deployed an Election Observation Mission, including 12 core experts and 22 long-term observers, to assess the elections’ compliance with international standards.