By Kulpash Konyrova
Kazakhstan is preparing for legislative elections that will shape the future of its young democracy, as 12.6 million people in Central Asia’s largest country are set to elect a new unicameral parliament in 10 days.
“A strong president, an influential parliament, a responsible government” is the motto of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who secured majority approval from voters in March for a constitutional overhaul.
As a result, the country that emerged in 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union will have a single 145-member parliamentary chamber as of August 23. Known as the Kurultai, its members will be elected proportionally through party lists.
Programs and parties, not candidates
Another major change is that Kazakhs will vote for platforms and parties, with seven political groups contesting the election, rather than for individual candidates, as in the past.
The ruling establishment is heading into the election with a new party, Adilet (Justice), founded in May this year in what appears to be a clear attempt by Tokayev to definitively sever ties with his predecessor and the country’s founding president, Nursultan Nazarbayev.
In June, Adilet merged with the Amanat party, originally founded in 1999 as a platform to support Nazarbayev under the name Nur Otan.
Tokayev, a staunch advocate of stability who has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to bring the fighting in Ukraine to an end once and for all, has said the election must be conducted according to two principles: “Law and order.”
The other six parties are campaigning on social issues including pension reform, the restoration of free education and health care, increased subsidies for farmers, support for young people and entrepreneurs, and improvements to the drinking water supply.
Meanwhile, the long-established Ak Zhol, or Democratic Party of Kazakhstan, led by Daniya Yespayeva, a former deputy speaker of the previous legislature and a presidential candidate in 2019, advocates closer ties with the European Union.
Ruling-party majority all but guaranteed
Few Kazakhs or political analysts doubt that the presidential party will secure a majority in the new Parliament.
“Given the scale of the campaign and the resources at its disposal, it is easy to predict that Adilet will win a parliamentary majority in these elections and hold a leading position in national politics,” political analyst Talgat Kaliyev told EFE.
Another expert, Dosym Satpayev, said there is no genuine competition among political parties in Kazakhstan because they were all created “from above.”
“They have all expressed their support for the authorities. So, in reality, there is no suspense. Even more so considering that Adilet was created literally just a few months before the election and, in essence, is no different from Nur Otan or Amanat,” he said.
While the strongest critics of the constitutional reform argued that it actually strengthened presidential power, Satpayev said that “although parliament will be unicameral, it will remain subordinate to the executive branch.”
The electoral law does, however, provide for a protest vote. Voters wishing to express their dissatisfaction with the system can select the “Against All” option on their ballots.
A campaign without major surprises
The campaign has so far unfolded without major incidents and amid widespread voter passivity and apathy, particularly among younger Kazakhs.
Kaliyev blamed the lack of an “electoral culture” on the Nur Otan party, which, beginning in 2005, “absorbed all the parties and became the sole dominant force.”
In making the case for the constitutional referendum in March, Tokayev stressed that reforming 80% of the constitution’s articles was intended to renew the political system with an eye toward younger generations in a country where the average age is 31.5.
“Young people don’t believe in elections or that they can change anything. Generation Z is shaped by social media. Elon Musk has more authority than the older generation. It’s a global trend,” Kaliyev said. EFE