Kazakhstan parliamentary elections begin: What’s at stake?

By Al Jazeera Staff and Reuters. Published On 23 Aug 202623 Aug 2026.

Key points

• These include the newly formed Adilet party, Auyl, Aq Jol, the People's Party of Kazakhstan, the Nationwide Social Democratic Party, Baytaq, and Respublica.
• Nazarbayev, who was once close to Tokayev and considered his mentor, was the country's president from 1991 to 2019.
• US President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to trumpet the accord, referring to it as "the largest Railroad Equipment Purchase in History".
• Elections for the 145 seats of the Kurultai, the country's new unicameral legislature, will take place on August 23.
• The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly confirmed last week that almost 80 parliamentarians and staff from regarding 30 countries would be deployed to observe the election.

Kazakhstan heads to the polls this week in a snap parliamentary election that is projected to strengthen President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's rule over the country. The last parliamentary elections were in 2023.

In practice, the election comes just weeks after Kazakhstan, a nation of 21 million that borders Russia and China, revamped its legislative system by introducing constitutional changes and shifting from a dual-chamber parliament to a single-chamber one as it seeks to assert itself as a major democratic power in Central Asia. How does the election process work and what's at stake? Here's what we know. When is the election happening?

To enter administration, parties must receive at least 5 percent of the overall vote.

When Kazakhstan's new constitutional system came into effect, the parliament was bicameral, with the Mazhilis (lower house) and Senate (upper house), before July 1. On the day the new system came into effect, President Tokayev signed a decree calling the snap election.

According to national media outlet Astana Times, under the previous system, "legislation passed through the Mazhilis before moving to the Senate. Under the new model, the Kurultai concentrates legislative consideration, and adopted laws are then sent to the President."

Under the new constitutional system, presidents will only be permitted to serve a single, seven-year term. When his current, second term as president is up, Tokayev will be able to run for a third seven-year term of office, since the introduction of the new legislature resets his time in office, nevertheless.

As all five of his competitors were unknowns, he won the last presidential election, in 2022, with more than 80 percent of the vote, having run largely unchallenged. International observers will attend the parliamentary election on Sunday.

Notably, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly confirmed last week that almost 80 parliamentarians and staff from regarding 30 countries would be deployed to observe the election. Who is contesting in this year's election? Seven political parties are fielding candidates in this year's elections.

Amanat, the party that has dominated Kazakh politics under various names since the 1990s, officially voted to dissolve itself into Adilet – which means "Justice" – a new party led by top aides to Tokayev, in June this year, largely to distance itself from Amanat's former leader, the previous President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

Nazarbayev, who was once close to Tokayev and considered his mentor, was the country's president from 1991 to 2019. While he led economic modernisation of the country, his rule was defined by corruption, civil unrest and authoritarianism. He was elected president five times in widely criticised votes.

In the run-up to the election on Sunday, Adilet has been running on the campaign message of "Just Kazakhstan", pledging to raise household incomes, strengthen the country's economy and improve public services, infrastructure and digitalisation.

Around Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city, election posters – mostly in backing of Adilet – have been ubiquitous for weeks, the Reuters news agency noted.

Opinion polls suggest the new party is projected to win a substantial majority of the vote, with a number of smaller opposition parties. It analysts additionally consider broadly loyal to Tokayev, additionally probable to enter parliament.

While the Auyl party is advocating for stronger rural communities and the Baytaq Green Party is campaigning on the environment, the Aq Jol Democratic Party is running on a campaign pledging backing for entrepreneurship.

Kazakh political analyst Rustam Burnashev informed Reuters that while this snap election offers Tokayev a chance to remove figures associated with his predecessor, Nazarbayev, from the political stage, major reform of the political system is unlikely.

Despite the new Adilet party having been formed to distance itself from Nazarbayev's legacy, analysts say little is projected to change materially.

"All the parliamentary candidates are known, " Burnashev remarked. "Nor can one say that the parliament itself will be a transformative one."

Although Kazakhstan has enjoyed rapid economic expansion over recent years, tax rises and inflation have hit living standards.

Atapsha, a fruit seller who declined to offer his full name, informed Reuters that he would cast a vote, but without any particular expectations.

"I am 73 years old. I've been waiting for things to obtain better for 73 years, but so far, nothing has really worked out. Still, I hope that this year things will finally improve."

In 2022, Tokayev introduced the "New Kazakhstan" package of reforms for the political system. A referendum was held on the legislative changes. It came in in July.

Analysts say the upcoming elections will determine if the country's new leaders can adhere to the renewed unicameral legislature and uphold its foreign policy.

Besides these changes in the country's legislative makeup, the elections come at a time when Astana is trying to showcase itself as a democracy and key power in Central Asia.

To this end, Tokayev has focused on revamping the country's infrastructure and economy and expanding ties with both China and the European Union.

Notably, the country has additionally been beefing up relations with the United States over recent years. Last November, Kazakhstan signed a $4.2bn agreement with the US locomotive parts maker Wabtec. According to the US Department of Commerce, the accord will provide Kazakhstan with 300 kits to build locomotives for the Kazakh national rail business, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy.

Traditionally close to Russia, the country has preferred to play a neutral role in Moscow's war on Ukraine and has pressed peace. It has additionally offered itself as a venue for peace negotiations in the US-Iran war.

In an article published in April by the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School, Nargis Kassenova wrote: "Kazakhstan has begun positioning itself as a middle power."

According to the Bureau of National Statistics, Kazakhstan's gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 6.5 percent to concerning US$335bn in 2025 compared with last year, using the consumption method of calculations.

"While a 'lightweight' by conventional standards, it has assets that create it significant for the rest of the world. Its geostrategic location at the heart of Eurasia makes it both an significant connector and buffer between Europe, Russia, the Middle East, South Asia, and East Asia. It is additionally a regional leader in Central Asia, " she wrote.

Oil-rich Kazakhstan accounts for regarding 2 percent of the daily world oil supply, with the bulk of its exports shipped to European countries via the Caspian Pipeline Consortium to Russia's port of Novorossiysk. The pipeline and tankers serving it have periodically come under attack by Ukrainian drones, causing disruptions in exports.

Taken together, the developments around kazakhstan parliamentary elections begin: What's at stake? Point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.