Kurultai elections: party positions on the ballot revealed

Kazakhstan is gearing up for its inaugural Kurultai elections on August 23, a significant political transition following the enactment of a new constitution on July 1. This constitutional change has led to the dissolution of the previous bicameral Parliament, the Mazhilis and Senate, and the establishment of a new unicameral legislative body, the Kurultai.

The Central Election Commission (CEC) has finalized the election schedule, outlining the campaign process, pre-election silence period, and voting timeline. A draw was conducted to determine the ballot order for the participating political parties. Mukhtar Yerman, Deputy Chairman of the CEC, oversaw the process where numbers 1 through 7 were drawn, assigning each party its position on the ballot.

A total of 545 candidates are registered to compete for seats in the Kurultai. The parties will appear on the ballot in the following order: Adilet Party, Nationwide Social Democratic Party (OSDP), Baytaq Kazakh Green Party, People's Party of Kazakhstan (NPK), Auyl People's Democratic Patriotic Party, Ak Zhol Democratic Party of Kazakhstan, and Respublica. The ballot will also feature an "Against All" option for voters.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed the decree for these elections on July 1. The CEC has also approved the schedule for the election campaign, emphasizing adherence to regulations, with the Prosecutor General's Office issuing warnings about fines for violations.