On August 23, Kazakhstan held its first elections to the Kurultai, marking a major stage in the country’s transition to a new constitutional model. Under the new Constitution, which entered into force on July 1, 2026, the bicameral Parliament, comprising the Senate and the Mazhilis, was replaced by a unicameral legislative body consisting of 145 deputies. Seven political associations participated in the elections, with five parties securing representation after surpassing the 5% electoral threshold.
The Adilet party emerged as the leading political force, securing 110 of the 145 seats. The remaining seats were distributed among the Auyl party, with 10 seats, Respublica, with nine, and the Aq Jol Democratic Party and Nationwide Social Democratic Party (OSDP), with eight seats each. According to the Central Election Commission, 9,351,539 of the 12,623,289 citizens included in the voter lists participated in the elections, resulting in a voter turnout of 74.08%.
The Kurultai elections represented another significant nationwide political process in Kazakhstan this year. Earlier, on March 15, the country held a nationwide referendum on the adoption of the new Constitution, with voter turnout reaching 73.12%. The number of participants in the Kurultai elections exceeded the number recorded in the referendum by 224,357.
Thus, the elections to the new Parliament constituted the next stage in the implementation of the country’s new constitutional framework following the adoption of the fundamental law. While the March referendum enabled citizens to express their position on the proposed constitutional model, the August 23 elections resulted in the formation of one of the key state institutions envisaged by that model. At the same time, the institutional changes extend beyond the Parliament.
The new constitutional model provides for the establishment of the position of Vice President, as well as the Kazakhstan Khalyk Kenesi (People’s Council of Kazakhstan), the highest constitutional advisory body representing the interests of the people of Kazakhstan. Accordingly, the formation of the first Kurultai should be considered within the broader context of the comprehensive renewal of Kazakhstan’s state institutions initiated with the adoption of the new Constitution. The next stage has already been set: the first session of the Kurultai of the first convocation is scheduled for August 28, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. in Astana.
From that point onward, the new parliamentary system will transition from the stage of institutional formation to practical functioning. One of the features of the elections was the activity of young voters. This was particularly noticeable against the backdrop of demographic changes in the suburbs of major cities, where new residential areas have emerged in recent years and the population has increased significantly.
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