Kazakhstan’s Newly Formed Pro-Government Party Wins Parliamentary Election, Strengthening Tokayev’s Power

Kazakhstan’s newly formed pro-government Adilet Party has won a landslide victory in the country’s snap parliamentary election, securing 71.17% of the preliminary vote and strengthening President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s political grip.

The Central Election Commission said Adilet received 6,528,948 votes in Sunday’s election, far ahead of the Auyl Party with 6.26%. Respublica won 5.56%, Ak Zhol 5.21% and the Nationwide Social Democratic Party 5.11%. All five crossed the 5% threshold required to enter parliament. The People’s Party of Kazakhstan received 3.11%, while the Baitaq Green Party secured about 1%. Turnout was 74.08%, with more than 9.35 million of 12.62 million registered voters participating.

The election was the first parliamentary vote under Kazakhstan’s new Constitution, following sweeping reforms approved in a March referendum. The changes replaced the country’s bicameral Parliament with a 145-member unicameral legislature called the Kurultai. The snap election followed the constitutional overhaul, which took effect on July 1.

The reforms have been presented by Tokayev as necessary to enable faster government decision-making, but critics say they have further concentrated power in the presidency. Adilet was established earlier this year and absorbed the former ruling Amanat Party, giving it a powerful nationwide political organisation.

The OSCE raised concerns over limited political pluralism, saying the election took place without sufficiently distinct political alternatives and noting that all participating parties supported the incumbent president’s policies. Independent media and journalists have also faced increasing pressure.

The result comes amid continuing economic and political challenges. Inflation and tax increases have fueled public dissatisfaction, while authorities remain wary of a repeat of the January 2022 unrest, when fuel-price protests escalated into deadly violence.

Tokayev, president since 2019, has also sought to balance Kazakhstan’s relations with Russia, China and the West amid geopolitical tensions caused by the Ukraine war.

A recent Constitutional Court ruling effectively reset Tokayev’s previous presidential terms, potentially allowing him to seek another seven-year term after his current mandate expires in 2029. Although Tokayev has not confirmed whether he will run again, Adilet’s overwhelming election victory gives his administration a strong political base under Kazakhstan’s new constitutional system.