ELECTIONS OF THE DEPUTIES OF THE MAJILIS (LOWER HOUSE) OF THE PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN ON 10 JANUARY 2021
A brief guide to Kazakhstan
Geography
Kazakhstan is the largest country in Central Asia, bordering China, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. It is the ninth largest country in the world, equivalent in size to Western Europe.
It is also the world’s largest landlocked country, bordering the Aral and Caspian Seas (both are inland seas with no access to oceans).
At 7,598 km, Kazakhstan’s land border with Russia is the longest continuous land border in the world.
Demographics
Kazakhstan has a population of approximately 19 million people, making it the 64th most populated country in the world. Kazakhstan is a young country, with 40% of the population under 25 years of age.
The largest ethnic group is Kazakh, representing close to two-thirds (68.5%) of the population. A further 31.5% are Russians, Uzbeks, Ukrainians, Uighurs, Tatars, Germans and others.
The majority (around 70%) of the population are Muslim, and a further 26% are Christian. The remaining 4% are another religion, atheist, or unspecified.
Kazakhstan is ethnically and religiously diverse. There are approximately 140 different ethnic groups and almost 4,000 religious organisations operating freely across the country representing 18 religious denominations.
Economy
Kazakhstan’s economy is the largest in Central Asia and larger than all the other states in the region combined. This is largely due to the country’s vast natural resources, including an abundance of natural minerals, hydrocarbons and rare earth metals.
It has a skilled, workforce and the economy is quickly diversifying towards agribusiness, manufacturing, logistics and mining.
The government has recently introduced initiatives to further diversify the economy, targeting sectors such as transport, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, petrochemicals and food processing.
The ongoing process of privatising major state enterprises is to continue until the state’s share of the economy reaches 18%. Government measures to boost the growth of small and medium sized businesses predict that by 2025, the SME GDP share will increase to 35%.
Between 1991 and 2020, Kazakhstan received $330 billion worth of foreign direct investment as a result of the economic and social reforms initiated by the Government. In the 2020 Doing Business Report by the World Bank, Kazakhstan ranked 25th globally, rising 3 positions.
Kazakhstan’s increased role in global trade and its key involvement in the new Silk Road has given the country the potential to open its markets to billions of people.
Kazakhstan is investing heavily in digital infrastructure and is implementing projects to provide extensive broadband internet access across the country. Plans are also underway to introduce 5G and high-quality data centres in urban and rural areas over the coming years.
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of the National Economy projects that the country will see a 2.8% GDP growth in 2021 and a 4.6% growth by 2025.
In 2017, Kazakhstan published a new gender equality strategy to increase female participation in the SME workforce, to advance equality and remove barriers to prosperity for all citizens.
Political system
Kazakhstan is a presidential republic, whereby the President is the head of state and nominates a Prime Minister as the head of government. Executive power is held by the government, while legislative power is exercised by the two chambers of parliament, the 107-seat Majilis and the 49-seat Senate.
The President of Kazakhstan is Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and the Prime Minister is Askar Mamin.
Foreign policy
Kazakhstan has a multi-vector foreign policy, with close relations with most of the world’s major powers, including Russia, China and the US.
It is a member of the United Nations (UN), the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States, and participates in NATO’s Partnership for Peace programme. Kazakhstan is also a founding member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), which promotes regional economic integration.
Kazakhstan was elected a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2017-2018, the first Central Asian state to be elected to one of the UN’s authoritative governing bodies.
Starting from January 2017, Kazakhstan’s capital Nur-Sultan has hosted numerous rounds of the Astana Process on Syria, being chosen by its participants as a neutral venue for peace negotiations aimed at resolving the long-running conflict in Syria. These efforts have received praise from the UN and the members of the international community for contributing to the decrease in violence in Syria.
Overview of the Election of the deputies of the Majilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan
On 21 October 2020, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed the decree setting the date for the elections to the Majilis of the Parliament of Kazakhstan to be held on 10 January 2021.
“All political parties had time to prepare for the upcoming election campaign, develop an election platform, and enhance party infrastructure. The Central Election Commission (CEC) and the Prosecutor General’s Office will continuously monitor the legality, transparency, and fairness of elections,” Tokayev said.
In 2019, Tokayev signed a decree that introduced a mandatory 30 percent minimum quota for women and young people in party lists in an effort to increase their role in the decision-making process.
Additionally, the threshold for registering new political parties has been lowered from 40,000 party members to 20,000 members, making it much easier to establish a new political party[1].
Majilis is the lower chamber of the Kazakh Parliament that comprises 107 deputies elected for a five-year term. 98 members are elected by the general public by party lists (proportional representation system) and the remaining 9 MPs are elected by the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan – an advisory body under the President of Kazakhstan whose members are mostly drawn from ethnic minority organisations in order to ensure political empowerment of every ethnic community living in Kazakhstan.
The 98 publicly contested seats are elected using a 7% electoral threshold and allocated using the largest remainder method. If parties have an equal largest remainder, the party that was registered first is awarded the seat. If only one party crosses the threshold, the party with the second highest number of votes is awarded at least two seats regardless of 7% threshold.
Previous parliamentary elections were held in March 2016. Six political parties participated in the elections and three of them, including Nur Otan (82.2%), Ak Zhol Democratic Party of Kazakhstan (7.18%), the Communist People’s Party of Kazakhstan (7.14%), received more than 7% of the votes and won the right to delegate their deputies to the chamber.
Currently, the Nur Otan party has a majority of 84 deputies in the Majilis, the Ak Zhol and the Communist People’s party have 7 MPs each.
Timetable of the elections
- 21 October 2020 – Elections announced
- 10-30 November 2020 – Nomination of party lists for the Majilis election
- 10 December 2020 – 8 January 2021 – Election campaign
- Until 4 January 2021 – accreditation of observers of foreign states and international organisations
- 10 January 2021 – Voting takes place from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm (local time)
- By 20 January 2021 – Confirmation of the results
Electoral standards
The government is committed to holding elections according to the highest standards. To ensure this, the government has implemented numerous political reforms and proposed a number of initiatives, including:
- The threshold for registering political parties has been lowered from 40,000 party members to 20,000, making it much easier to establish a new political party;
- Adoption of amendments to the Law on the Procedure for Organising and Conducting Peaceful Assemblies, aimed at simplifying the relevant procedures;
- The concept of a “listening state” has been announced by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, which, beyond merely considering the views of the population, actively seeks public opinion in the policymaking process;
- The National Council of Public Trust, an advisory body under the President has been established to conduct open dialogue with representatives of the public in order to develop specific proposals for reforming legislation and the public administration system.
- Introduction of an institute of parliamentary opposition, providing for the consolidation of additional guarantees for the representation of parliamentary minority parties in the governing structures of the legislative body.
- The implementation of new guidelines to ensure the inclusion of women and youth (under the age of 29) on the lists of candidates from political parties to Parliament, in order to strengthen their role in democratic decision-making.
The safety of citizens is a priority for any government. For this reason, due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the whole election process will take place in line with the measures that have been put in place to ensure public safety, such as mask wearing, social distancing, etc.
Furthermore, suitable precautions such as requiring protective personal equipment, disinfecting polling places will be continued to ensure that the safety of voters are upheld.
Thanks to these measures, the Government of Kazakhstan upholds that the elections can take place safely.
In the lead up to the election, Kazakhstan will continue to assess the development of the COVID-19 pandemic, and widely publish the best protocols needed to ensure participation.
The Central Election Committee of Kazakhstan (CEC) is accrediting international observers from a number of international organisations and foreign countries.
According to the Constitutional Law on Elections in the Republic of Kazakhstan, accreditation of observers of foreign states and international organisations is carried out by the CEC on the proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan (MFA).
To date, the CEC has accredited 190 international observers, with a much bigger number of observers expected to be registered by the deadline day.
Accreditation of international observers will be carried out until 18.00 of 4 January 2021.
Media accreditation
International journalists are also welcome to apply for accreditation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to cover the elections by sending their applications to accreditation@mfa.kz.
Parties competing in the parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan
The following five political parties will participate in the upcoming elections:
Adal (Fair Party)
On 5 November 2020, at the meeting of the Birlik Party’s political council, the party announced its rebranding as Adal.
On 27 November 2020, Adal presented its list of 16 candidates, who are public figures, journalists, environmental and social activists, and representatives of the agricultural sector. Party Chairman Serik Sultangali claimed that the proposed list was composed based on the activities and experience of the new party members.
The party’s programme focuses on five key directions: a worthy life for all people, entrepreneurship as the basis of a successful economy, agri-industrial sector development and food security, strong regions are a strong country, and a state for the people.
Adal presented its plans on abandoning mandatory pension contributions, enhancing free education, free healthcare with an increased pay for doctors, elimination of business restrictions as well as introducing the institution of bankruptcy for individuals.
You can find out more about the party and its programme: https://adalpartiyasy.kz/
Ak Zhol (Bright Path Party)
On 20 November 2020, the Ak Zhol Democratic Party held its 16th Extraordinary Congress in Nur-Sultan and presented its party list of 38 candidates.
The list includes Azat Peruashev, party Chairman; Daniya Yespayeva, Kazakhstan’s first female presidential candidate; and Botagoz Abdulmanova, a prominent financial analyst.
The Ak Zhol Party proposes to use the historically authentic name of “Kazakh Republic” along with Kazakhstan, as well as to strengthen the parliamentary system and a gradual transition from a presidential system to a parliamentary republic.
The party proposes to limit the interest rates of loans on mortgages, consumer goods, and to small and medium-sized businesses. They also propose to adopt a law on the bankruptcy of individuals and guarantee bankrupt borrowers the preservation of their housing and social guarantees.
You can find out more about the party and its programme: https://akzhol.kz/ru/
Auyl (Village Party)
At the 18th Extraordinary Congress of Auyl People’s Democratic Patriotic Party, which was held on 18 November 2020, the party announced its list of candidates for the Majilis elections.
The list of 19 candidates includes Chairman of the Board of the National Agrarian Research and Education Centre and former presidential candidate Toleutai Rakhimbekov, Chairman of the Board of the Kazakh Agro-Technical University and former First Vice Minister of Agriculture Kairat Aituganov, and Head of the Entrepreneurship and Industrial-Innovative Department of the Zhambyl Region’s Akimat (local executive body) Karlygash Aralbekova.
The youngest candidate is aged 28 and the oldest one is aged 61.
Chairman of the Auyl Party Ali Bektayev said the party intends to raise issues related to rural development as the delegates to the congress approved the party’s election programme.
The party proposes to develop a system of long-term loans to agricultural producers, to facilitate the return of overseas ethnic Kazakhs to their homeland, and to introduce a child trust fund, which will allocate money to citizens upon reaching 18.
You can find out more about the party and its programme: https://auyl.kz/
Nur Otan (Radiant Motherland Party)
The first nationwide primary elections of the Nur Otan party took place from 17 August to 3 October 2020 in an attempt to promote an open political competition, civic engagement in politics, and empower women. According to the party, nearly 10,000 candidates participated in the primaries with 662,687 people participating in the vote resulting in the total of 84% primaries turnout.
On 18 November 2020, Nur Otan revealed its primary election results which showed 78 out of 267 applicants elected by secret electronic voting. 9 candidates are new party members, 5 are incumbent Majilis deputies, a third of candidates are women, 12 candidates are under the age of 35. The average age of the winning candidates is estimated at 47.
At the 20th Extraordinary Congress of Nur Otan held on 25 November 2020, the party unveiled its 4 political priorities until 2025 (time of the next elections): to provide every citizen with equal opportunities to fulfil their potential, shaping an intellectual nation, sustainable development of a regional economy, and an accountable ‘listening state’ with responsible citizens helping to fight corruption.
The Nur Otan presented its party list of 126 people. 77 candidates were selected through primaries and 49 candidates were included in the list as prominent party members. The list includes the First Deputy Chairman of the party Bauyrzhan Baibek, Prime Minister Askar Mamin, Majilis Chair Nurlan Nigmatullin, Kazakh President’s Chief of Staff Yerlan Koshanov, former Senate Speaker Dariga Nazarbayeva, and Samruk-Kazyna Fund’s CEO Akhmetzhan Yesimov.
You can find out more about the party and its programme: https://nurotan2021.kz/ru/
People’s Party of Kazakhstan
The Communist People’s Party of Kazakhstan held its 15th Extraordinary Congress on 11 November 2020 in Nur-Sultan where it decided to rebrand itself as the People’s Party of Kazakhstan in order to distance itself from the communist past. The party’s parliamentary leader, Aikyn Konurov, was elected as its Chairman.
The party’s list includes 113 candidates for the Majilis. 41 of them are women and young people (36.2%).
The list of candidates includes Chairman of the party Aikyn Konurov, Secretary of the party’s Central Committee Zhambyl Akhmetbekov, Majilis deputy Irina Smirnova, representatives of parties in the regions, entrepreneurs, teachers, volunteers and other party members.
The election programme titled ‘People. Family. Justice’ was also presented at the congress. It aims to seek ways out of the crisis caused by the pandemic as well as fix systemic drawbacks in Kazakhstan’s politics.
The party members support disbanding the medical insurance fund, improving the housing situation for people, reducing the retirement age to 60 years, and gradually reducing working hours after reaching a certain age. The party also advocates keeping state ownership of land resources, reducing duplicate and ineffective state programmes, conducting a loan amnesty at the expense of banks as well as a fairer tax policy.
You can find out more about the party: https://qhp.kz/
Further information on the election of the Majilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan can be found here: https://www.election.gov.kz/eng/?v=mobile