Kazakhstan鈥檚 pro-government Adilet Party won a landslide victory in a parliamentary election, officials announced Monday, a result expected to further strengthen grip on power in
Adilet, which is led by the former head of Tokayev鈥檚 presidential administration, won 71% of Sunday’s vote, Kazakhstan鈥檚 central electoral commission said, according to preliminary results.
The second-place Auyl Party won 6.26% of the vote, with three other parties 鈥� the Nationwide Social Democratic Party, Respublica and Aq Jol 鈥� reaching the 5% threshold needed to win a place in parliament.
Election monitors for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said the vote was marred by a lack of distinct political opposition, with 鈥渁ll contesting parties supporting the incumbent president鈥檚 policies.鈥�
Some 74% of the country鈥檚 12.6 million eligible voters took part in the election, the central electoral commission said, which was the first vote to Kazakhstan鈥檚 new single-chamber parliament.
Known as the Kurultai, the new body is the culmination of a constitutional overhaul initiated by Tokayev in March, when 87% of voters to merge the two chambers of parliament.
The vote also gave the president authority to appoint key officials, subject to lawmakers’ approval.
Last month, Kazakhstan鈥檚 Constitutional Court ruled that the amendments on Tokayev鈥檚 previous terms in office, clearing the way for him to seek another seven-year term when his mandate expires in 2029.
The decision echoes those seen in several former Soviet republics, including Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, where leaders have used new or amended constitutions to revise statutory term limits.
The 73-year-old Tokayev, a former Soviet official and Kazakh diplomat who previously worked at the United Nations, has been in office since 2019.
He has sought to maintain a balance between Moscow and the West since sanctions were imposed on Russia over Tokayev has justified the constitutional changes by citing the need for rapid decision-making in a fast-changing world.
The election comes at a difficult economic moment for Kazakhstan, where inflation hit 10.2% in February and tax increases have fueled public discontent.
Analysts say the economic strain has made authorities wary of a repeat of the unrest of January 2022, when fuel price protests spiraled into violence that left dozens of protesters and police officers dead 鈥� a scenario Tokayev is seeking to guard against by concentrating power in his own hands.
The vote also took place against a backdrop of intensifying crackdowns on press freedom. Media organizations have urged Tokayev to drop criminal charges against several journalists under house arrest and to revise legislation to ensure freedom of speech. Authorities have opened roughly 10 criminal cases against independent journalists and popular bloggers.
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
