Kurultai elections: What stages are behind and what awaits voters until August 23

Kazakhstan's upcoming Kurultai elections are moving forward, with the Central Election Commission (CEC) having finalized crucial preparatory stages. Seven political parties have successfully registered their candidate lists, presenting a total of 546 individuals vying for the 145 available mandates in the Kurultai. The parties include the Ak Zhol Democratic Party, Auyl People's Democratic Patriotic Party, Adilet Party (incorporating Amanat), Baytaq Kazakhstan Green Party, People's Party of Kazakhstan (NPK), Nationwide Social Democratic Party (OSDP), and Respublica Party.

A draw has determined the order in which these parties will appear on the ballot, a process overseen by CEC Deputy Chairman Mukhtar Erman. The parties will be listed in the following sequence: 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.

Official election campaigning commenced on July 23 and will continue until midnight on August 22. During this period, parties and candidates are authorized to engage with voters through meetings, distribute campaign materials, and present their political platforms. Voter lists, compiled by regional akims and submitted to precinct election commissions, now include 12,605,788 individuals. A symbolic change is also visible with the installation of a new sign on the former Parliament building, now designated as the "Kurultai of the Republic of Kazakhstan."

While campaigning is underway, certain activities are prohibited. In addition to existing bans on producing materials outside Kazakhstan or distributing anonymous content, parties are forbidden from using campaign materials from previous election cycles. Specific entities, including state bodies, law enforcement officials, judges, members of election commissions, and religious associations, are barred from campaigning. Broadcasters are also restricted from airing campaign materials during certain times, though the specifics of these restrictions are not fully detailed in the provided text.