Kazakhstan ruling party Adilet wins 71% of votes in Kurultai parliamentary election

Election outcome and Kurultai seats

Kazakhstan's newly formed pro-government party, Adilet, won just over 71% of the vote in Sunday's parliamentary election, the Central Election Commission reported on Monday. State television exit polls had projected the party to secure between 70% and 72% of the ballots, granting it an outright majority in the newly configured 145-seat legislature. Voter turnout reached 74.19%, with more than nine million of the country's 12.6 million eligible voters casting ballots across the Central Asian country of 20 million people. Participation reached up to 90% in specific regions, and the ballot marked the first election for many young Kazakh citizens. Five of the seven officially registered parties crossed the threshold to enter the assembly, with competing factions each gathering between 2% and 6% of the preliminary vote.

Institutional restructuring and the new constitution

The election replaced the former bicameral legislature with a single-chamber parliament known as the Kurultai, whose deputies will serve a five-year term. The institutional restructuring follows a constitutional referendum passed in March, with the new charter officially entering into legal force on 1 July. The changes build upon an earlier institutional reorganisation that created a new Constitutional Court in 2023. Government authorities stated that moving to a single legislative chamber aims to modernize state administration and increase representative participation in policy decisions. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe deployed an observation mission to monitor the conduct of the snap parliamentary vote.

Party landscape and candidate restrictions

Adilet was established in June by senior aides to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and integrated the former ruling Amanat party shortly after its creation. In addition to Adilet, four other political formations secured entry into the Kurultai: the pro-business Respublika and Ak Zhol parties, the centre-left Nationwide Social Democratic Party, and the rural Auyl party. All four minority parties in the race maintain positions broadly loyal to Tokayev's administration. The electoral commission confirmed that these four groups entered parliament alongside Adilet, while two other permitted competitors did not secure seats. Several independent opposition organizations were banned from participating, restricting the final ballot to seven state-approved political parties competing for seats.

Executive powers and foreign relations

The revised constitutional framework reset presidential term limits, allowing Tokayev to launch a campaign for another term in 2029. The 73-year-old head of state, a former Soviet diplomat and senior United Nations official, has led the Central Asian economy since 2019. While casting his vote in the capital city of Astana, Tokayev announced that he will present his nominee for the newly created position of Vice President within seven to ten days. Kazakhstan remains allied militarily and politically with Russia while maintaining deep economic ties with neighbouring China. As the largest economy in Central Asia, the country also functions as a strategic resource and trade partner for the European Union between Europe and Asia.