Astana: Kazakhstan’s ruling party secured a decisive victory in the election for the country’s new single-chamber parliament on Sunday, based on exit polls. State television reported that three exit polls indicated the Adilet party garnered between 70% and 72% of the votes.
According to Deutsche Welle, the election follows the approval of a new constitution in March, which eliminated the Senate to establish a unicameral Kurultai-a nod to the medieval councils of the region’s nomadic past. Proponents of the new legislative structure argue that it will enhance the parliament’s role in decision-making, while critics contend that it merely consolidates the power of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The 73-year-old Tokayev succeeded authoritarian leader Nursultan Nazarbayev, who governed Kazakhstan for 30 years following the Soviet Union’s collapse, in 2019. The pro-presidential Adilet party was anticipated to win a vast majority in Sunday’s election, with exit polls showing that four smaller parties loyal to Tokayev also earned seats in the new parliament.
Seven state-sanctioned parties were permitted to present candidates for the 145-seat parliament, whereas genuine opposition parties were prohibited. The election took place amidst soaring inflation, currently around 10.2%, and rising taxes. These financial pressures have fueled government concerns-particularly for Tokayev-of a recurrence of the January 2022 cost-of-living protests that resulted in 238 deaths among protesters and police.
In addition to financial challenges, Sunday’s election occurred against a backdrop of press freedom crackdowns. Numerous reporters are under house arrest, and 10 independent journalists and bloggers face official criminal charges.
Tokayev, a former Soviet official and Kazakh diplomat with experience at the UN, has defended his reforms and the numerous changes he has initiated, including the new constitution, as essential in a rapidly evolving world. “Without a doubt, these elections will be remembered as perhaps the most interesting in our country’s history,” Tokayev stated on Friday. He emphasized the importance of implementing a strategy to transform Kazakhstan into a developed state amid geopolitical tensions and global challenges.
Since sanctions were imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, Tokayev has navigated a delicate balance between Moscow, with whom Kazakhstan shares Soviet ties, and the West. Kazakhstan, rich in resources and strategically located, also maintains relations with China and the European Union. Although Tokayev has expressed no intentions to extend his rule beyond his current term, the constitutional reform that 87% of voters supported in March effectively reset term limits for the presidency. This change makes him eligible to seek another seven-year term in 2029 should he opt to do so.