Kazakhstan has for the first time elected deputies to the Kurultai. On August 23, the country voted for a new unicameral Parliament, replacing the former bicameral system. More than 9.35 million citizens took part in the elections, and five out of seven parties preliminarily crossed the five-percent threshold.

These elections were the first vote under the new parliamentary system. Previously, the legislative branch was represented by the Majilis and the Senate. Following the entry into force of the new Constitution, Parliament transitioned to a unicameral model, and its new name became the Kurultai.

On August 23, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev took part in the voting. After casting his ballot, the Head of State spoke about the significance of the first elections to the unicameral Parliament and called this day historic for the country.

"Undoubtedly, today is truly a historic day for our country. For the first time, we are holding elections to the unicameral Kurultai. This is an important historical event. United as one nation, we are carrying out large-scale reforms. You are all well aware of this and are witnesses to the ongoing transformations. We have managed to achieve significant results. At the same time, extensive work lies ahead, and the goals we have set are of particular importance. Today's elections are only the beginning of this great work," said Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Across the country, 10,423 polling stations were operating on August 23. Another 79 stations were opened at Kazakhstan's diplomatic missions in 61 foreign countries. A total of 12,623,289 citizens were included in the voter rolls.

By 8:00 PM, 9,352,151 people had received ballots, representing 74.19 percent turnout.

The most active voting took place in the Turkistan Region, where turnout reached 92.16 percent. In the Jetisu Region, it stood at 91.19 percent, and in the Kyzylorda Region – 90.75 percent. High figures were also recorded in the Aktobe Region – 88.30 percent, the East Kazakhstan Region – 87.50 percent, and the Zhambyl Region – 85.18 percent. In Astana, 51.67 percent of voters turned out, in Almaty – 43.23 percent, and in Shymkent – 75.42 percent.

Seven political parties competed for 145 seats in the new Parliament. The Central Election Commission registered 545 candidates. The largest list was submitted by the "Ädilet" party – 186 candidates. The "Respublica" party fielded 75 candidates, the People's Party of Kazakhstan – 72, "Auyld" – 69, "Aq Jol" – 63, "Baytaq" – 47, and the "OSDP" – 33.

To secure seats in Parliament, parties are required to obtain at least five percent of the vote. After the votes were counted, the CEC released preliminary results. The leader was the "Ädilet" party, which received 6,528,948 votes, or 71.17 percent. "Auyld" garnered 574,621 votes – 6.26 percent. The "Respublica" party received 509,631 votes, or 5.56 percent. "Aq Jol" obtained 478,083 votes – 5.21 percent, while the OSDP received 469,058 votes, or 5.11 percent.

Thus, five parties have preliminarily crossed the required threshold.

The People's Party of Kazakhstan received 3.11 percent, and "Baytaq" – 1.07 percent. The "Against All" option was chosen by 2.51 percent of voters.

The final distribution of seats will become known after the CEC establishes the official results. Meanwhile, 777 international observers from 42 countries and 13 international organizations monitored the voting process. Among them were 138 parliamentarians from 41 countries.

The observers worked at polling stations in various regions, assessing the organization of voting, compliance with established procedures, and the work of election commissions.

The CIS observer mission visited more than 900 polling stations across 14 regions of Kazakhstan. Following the observation, the head of the mission, First Deputy Secretary General of the CIS Igor Petrishenko, reported that no violations capable of affecting the voting results had been identified.

In its final assessment, the CIS Mission stated that the elections were conducted in accordance with Kazakhstan's electoral legislation and provided citizens with the opportunity to freely express their will.

Other international missions also gave their assessments. For instance, SCO observers visited 102 polling stations in Astana and the Akmola Region.

"The Mission recognizes the past elections of Kurultai deputies as transparent, credible, and democratic," stated SCO Deputy Secretary General Tekku Midhun.

The Mission of the Organization of Turkic States worked in Kazakhstan from August 20 to 24 and visited 32 polling stations.

"The elections were conducted in an open and transparent manner, in accordance with national and international standards," reported OTS Deputy Secretary General Nuru Guliyev.

Representatives of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly also stated that they had found no shortcomings that could have affected the voting process or its results.

On election day, more than 25,000 public observers from the "Dauys" Public Observers Coalition also worked at polling stations across the country.

Coalition Chairman Tolegen Kunadilov reported that the voting was generally calm, and most polling stations complied with established procedures.

"Systematic preparation made it possible to establish a unified professional approach to public observation. Observers clearly understood their authority and were able to objectively document the situation at polling stations. No violations capable of casting doubt on the integrity and transparency of this election campaign were recorded," said Tolegen Kunadilov.

According to him, the materials collected from the regions are currently being compiled, and an analytical report will be prepared based on the observation results.

The voting has concluded, but the electoral process is not yet over. The CEC must complete the verification of protocols, establish the final results, and officially publish them no later than September 1.

Following the official announcement of the results, the elected deputies will begin their work in the new unicameral Parliament – the Kurultai.

Linara SAKTAGANOVA
Astana

© Photo: akorda.kz

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