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Kazakhstan Votes in Parliamentary Election Expected to Strengthen President’s Grip on Power

Seven parties are contesting 145 seats as the new legislature replaces Kazakhstan’s former two-chamber parliament and could extend Tokayev’s political control.

  • On Sunday, Kazakhstan opened 10,363 polling stations for the nation's first elections to the Kurultai, the country's new unicameral legislature. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev initiated this snap parliamentary vote to strengthen his rule in Central Asia.
  • The election follows President Tokayev's 'New Kazakhstan' reform package, which replaced the bicameral parliament with the unicameral Kurultai. The Amanat party dissolved into the newly formed Adilet party, led by Tokayev's aides, to distance the government from former President Nursultan Nazarbayev's legacy.
  • In total, 12,605,788 citizens are registered to vote, with 777 foreign observers from 42 countries accredited to monitor the process. Parties must secure at least 5 percent of the overall vote to enter the 145-member legislature.
  • Voting began at 7 a.m. Astana time, with 228 citizens casting ballots at overseas polling stations by 8 a.m. The Central Election Commission prohibited publishing exit polls or election forecasts on election day.
  • Positioning itself as a middle power between Europe, Russia, and China, Kazakhstan faces mounting economic pressures on its 21 million citizens. While recent growth continued, analysts note inflation and tax increases have eroded living standards amid geopolitical tensions.
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23 Articles

Lean Left

Kazakhstan elects new parliament amid Tokayev reforms Seven parties are competing for 145 seats in Kazakhstan's new parliament. The elections are a milestone in Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's constitutional reforms.

·Kyiv, Ukraine
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The Toronto StarThe Toronto Star
+4 Reposted by 4 other sources
Lean Left

Kazakhstan votes in parliamentary election expected to strengthen president’s grip on power

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Polls opened Sunday in Kazakhstan’s parliamentary elections, a vote expected to further to strengthen President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s power in Central Asia’s largest nation.

·Toronto, Canada
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Lean Right

International observers considered the abolition of self-expression to be a direct restriction on the political participation of citizens.

·Kyiv, Ukraine
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Nación Paisa broke the news on Saturday, August 22, 2026.
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