International Observers Deliver Assessment of Kazakhstan’s First Kurultai Vote

Kazakhstan held its first Kurultai election on Aug. 23, marking a new stage in the country's transition to a single-chamber legislature. International observers from various organizations monitored the voting process, offering assessments of the election. This election is a key component of Kazakhstan's wider efforts to modernize its political institutions and enhance their capacity to address evolving social and economic conditions.

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We expect that the new political system will help maintain stability and continuity while ensuring the further development of state institutions. It should also provide more effective representation of public interests and improve the quality of decision-making.

Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Issetov explained on Aug. 22 that Kazakhstan is pursuing political reform proactively, not in response to a crisis, but to prepare its institutions for the nation's ongoing development. He anticipates the new political system will foster stability and continuity while promoting institutional growth, better representing public interests, and improving decision-making quality. Issetov also connected these reforms to economic development, stating that a more complex economy necessitates more effective state institutions, predictable legislation, and high-quality public administration.

"The more diverse society becomes, the more important it is to have mechanisms that allow for the various public interests to be taken into account. This is one of the main reasons behind the current constitutional reform," Issetov said. He emphasized that the reforms aim not for change itself, but to align political institutions with modern Kazakhstan and prepare them for future development stages.

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The more diverse society becomes, the more important it is to have mechanisms that allow for the various public interests to be taken into account. This is one of the main reasons behind the current constitutional reform. It is not aimed at changing for the sake of change. Its objective is to bring political institutions in line with modern Kazakhstan and prepare them for the next stage of the country’s development.

Observers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) reported that voting was well-organized and polling stations were fully prepared. T.R. Midhun, SCO Deputy Secretary-General, noted that the mission observed procedures and queues of eager participants from the moment polling stations opened. The SCO mission's task is to observe all electoral stages and provide an objective assessment based on direct observation and factual information, with a final assessment to be presented later.

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We went to the polling stations when they opened. We saw the procedures and the queues of people who were willing to participate in the election. It was early morning, and people were still very keen to start as early as possible.