Tokayev Calls First Kurultai Elections a Historic Vote for Kazakhstan
Astana, The Gulf Observer: President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has described the upcoming elections to the country’s new unicameral Kurultai as a historic event, urging citizens, particularly young people, to actively participate in the vote scheduled for August 23.
In an address to the nation ahead of the elections, Tokayev said the vote would mark an important stage in Kazakhstan’s political development and the beginning of a new phase of reforms. He described the elections as potentially the “most interesting” in the country’s history.
The August 23 elections will be the first nationwide vote held under Kazakhstan’s new constitutional framework. The new Kurultai, which replaces the former bicameral Parliament, will consist of 145 deputies elected through proportional representation in a single nationwide constituency.
Seven political parties are contesting the elections, with a five-percent threshold required to enter the legislature. More than 12.6 million citizens are eligible to vote.
Tokayev said the elections would provide a starting point for new reforms aimed at benefiting citizens and opening a new chapter in the country’s modern history. He called on voters to exercise their constitutional right and emphasized the importance of youth participation in shaping Kazakhstan’s future.
The new parliamentary system is part of broader constitutional reforms approved in a nationwide referendum earlier this year. The Kurultai elections are expected to provide an early test of the new institutional framework and its impact on political representation and party competition.
The president’s appeal comes as Kazakhstan enters the final stage of preparations for its first elections to the new legislature, with campaigning concluding on August 21 and August 22 designated as a campaign silence day.
Tokayev said the active participation of citizens in the electoral process would contribute to the further development of Kazakhstan’s political system and the implementation of reforms under the country’s new constitutional order.
