Legislative in Kazakhstan: the ruling party largely in the lead

March 20, 2023

The ruling party in Kazakhstan came out ahead in the early parliamentary elections, the Electoral Commission announced on Monday, after a vote that was ultimately one-sided despite timid promises of democratic openness.

Nearly 24 hours after the polls closed, the Electoral Commission revealed figures similar to the polls published Sunday evening on state channels, without detailing the exact distribution of seats by party.

According to the Electoral Commission, the ruling party Amanat comes first with 53.90%, far ahead of its runner-up (10.90%), Aouyl, an agrarian formation which poses as a defender of rurality.

A new system was established for this ballot, with 69 deputies, out of the 98 in the Majilis, the lower house of Parliament, elected by proportional representation and 29 elected by the single-member ballot, where independent candidates competed.

The political affiliation of the 29 deputies elected by the single-member ballot was not immediately disclosed.

Six parties joined the Majilis, against three previously, but they are all more or less loyal to the president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. In addition, several opposition parties remain banned and independent candidates said on Monday that they did not recognize the results of these elections.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) estimated in a report that “the legal framework still needs to be modified to provide a sufficient basis for the holding of democratic elections”, while noting that reforms already allow “greater choice” for voters.

Videos of ballot box stuffing in several regions of Kazakhstan have been posted on social media. The OSCE noted that “significant irregularities and important safeguards were overlooked during the count”.

Easily re-elected in November with more than 80% of the vote, President Tokayev was a pure product of the Soviet system, before becoming a confidant of the former head of state, Nursultan Nazarbayev.

The president finally broke with his predecessor, depriving him of his privileges.

Large as five times the size of France, Kazakhstan remains marked by demonstrations against the high cost of living in January 2022 which degenerated into riots where President Tokayev had ordered to “shoot to kill”. Officially 238 people died during these events.