Key facts
- Kazakhstan's pro-government Adilet Party won 71% of the vote in Sunday's parliamentary election.
- The election was the first for the country's new single-chamber parliament, the Kurultai.
- Constitutional changes initiated by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev allow him to seek another term in 2029.
- The vote took place amidst high inflation and public discontent over tax increases.
Kazakhstan's pro-government Adilet Party secured a landslide victory in a parliamentary election, winning 71% of the vote according to preliminary results announced Monday. This outcome is expected to further solidify President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's control over Central Asia's largest nation.
The Adilet Party, led by the former head of Tokayev's presidential administration, significantly outperformed other parties. The Auyl Party came in second with 6.26%, while the Nationwide Social Democratic Party, Respublica, and Aq Jol each surpassed the 5% threshold required to gain seats in parliament. Election monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe observed a lack of distinct political opposition, noting that all contesting parties supported the incumbent president's policies.
Turnout for the election was 74% of the country's 12.6 million eligible voters. This vote was the first for Kazakhstan's new single-chamber parliament, known as the Kurultai, which is the result of a constitutional overhaul initiated by Tokayev in March. The overhaul also grants the president authority to appoint key officials, subject to legislative approval.
Kazakhstan's Constitutional Court previously ruled that amendments effectively reset the clock on Tokayev's previous terms, clearing the path for him to seek another seven-year term in 2029. This move mirrors actions taken by leaders in several other former Soviet republics. Tokayev, who has been in office since 2019, has aimed to balance relations between Moscow and the West amidst sanctions on Russia. He has cited the need for rapid decision-making in a changing world as justification for the constitutional changes.
The election occurs during a challenging economic period for Kazakhstan, with inflation reaching 10.2% in February and recent tax increases fueling public discontent. Analysts suggest that economic strain has made authorities cautious of a repeat of the January 2022 unrest, which saw fuel price protests escalate into violence. Concentrating power is seen as a strategy to prevent such scenarios. The vote also took place amid an intensifying crackdown on press freedom, with media organizations calling on Tokayev to drop charges against journalists and revise legislation to ensure freedom of speech.