Government & politics — Kazakhstan

the name "Kazakh" may derive from the Turkic word "kaz" meaning "to wander," recalling the Kazakh's nomadic lifestyle; the Persian suffix "-stan" means "place of" or "country," so the word Kazakhstan literally means "Land of the Wanderers"

• history: previous 1937, 1978 (preindependence), 1993; latest approved by referendum 30 August 1995,
• effective 5 September 1995 amendments: introduced by a referendum initiated by the president of the republic, on the recommendation of Parliament, or by the government; the president has the option of submitting draft amendments to Parliament or directly to a referendum; passage of amendments by Parliament requires four-fifths majority vote of both houses and the signature of the president; passage by referendum requires absolute majority vote by more than one half of the voters in at least two thirds of the oblasts, major cities, and the capital, followed by the signature of the president; amended several times, last in 2022

• chief of state: President K
• asym-Zhomart TOKAYEV (since 20 March 2019) head of government: Prime Minister Olzhas BEKTENOV (since 6 February 2024);
• note - Alikhan SMAILOV resigned on 5 February 2024 cabinet: the president appoints ministers based on the prime minister's recommendations; the president has veto power over all appointments and independently appoints the ministers of defense, internal affairs,
• and foreign affairs elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a single 7-year term (prior to September 2022, the president of Kazakhstan could serve up to two 5-year terms; legislation passed in September 2022 reduced the maximum number of terms to one 7-year term); election last held on 20 November 2022 (next to be held in 2029); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president,
• approved by the Mazhilis election results: 2024: Olzhas BEKTENOV elected as prime minister; 69-0
• in parliament 2022: Kasym-Zhomart TOKAYEV reelected president; percent of vote - Kassym-Jomart TOKAYEV (Amanat) 81.3%, Zhiguli DAYRABAEV (Auyl) 3.4%, Qaraqat or Karakat ÄBDEN (KÄQŪA) 2.6%, Meyram KAZHYKEN (Amanat) 2.5%, Nurlan AUYESBAYEV (NSDP) 2.2%, Saltanat TURSYNBEKOVA (QA-DJ) 2.1%, other 5.8% 2019: Kasym-Zhomart TOKAYEV elected president; percent of vote - Kasym-Zhomart TOKAYEV (Amanat) 71%, Amirzhan KOSANOV (Ult Tagdyry) 16.2%, Daniya YESPAYEVA (Ak Zhol) 5.1%, other 7.7%

Description

bicameral Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan consists of: Senate (50 seats); 40 members indirectly elected by 2-round majority vote by the oblast-level assemblies and 10 members appointed by decree of the president; members serve 6-year terms, with one-half of the membership renewed every 3 years) Mazhilis (98 seats; 69 members directly elected in a single national constituency by party list proportional representation vote (5% minimum threshold to gain seats) and 29 directly elected in single-seat constituencies to serve 5-year terms

Elections

• Senate - last held on 14 January 2023 (next to be held in 2026) Mazhilis - last held on 19 March 2023 (next to be held in 2026)

Election Results

• - Senate - percent of vote by party - NA
• seats by party - NA
• composition (as of April 2023) - men 39, women 11, percent of women 22% Mazhilis - percent of vote by party - Amanat (formerly Nur Otan) 53.9%, Auvl 10.9%, Respublica 8.6%, Ak Zhol 8.4%, QHP 6.8%, NSDP 5.2%, Baytak 2.3%, Against all 3.9%
• percent of vote by party (single-mandate districts) Amanat (formerly Nur Otan) 75.9%, Independent 24%
• seats by party Amanat (formerly Nur Qtan) 62, Auvl 8, Respublica 6, Ak Zhol 6, QHP 5, NSDP 4, Independents 7
• composition (as of March 2023) - men 80, women 18, percent of women 18.4%;

Note

total Parliament percent of women 19.6%

• highest court(s): Supreme Court of the Republic (consists of 44 members); Constitutional Council (consists of the
• chairperson and 6 members) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges proposed by the president of the republic on recommendation of the Supreme Judicial Council and confirmed by the Senate; judges normally serve until age 65 but can be extended to age 70; Constitutional Council - the president of the republic, the Senate chairperson, and the Mazhilis chairperson each appoints 2 members for a 6-year term; chairperson of the Constitutional Council ap
• pointed by the president for a 6-year term subordinate courts: regional and local courts

Summary

17 provinces (oblystar, singular - oblys) and 4 cities* (qalalar, singular - qala); Abay (Semey), Almaty (Qonaev), Almaty*, Aqmola (Kokshetau), Aqtobe, Astana*, Atyrau, Batys Qazaqstan [West Kazakhstan] (Oral), Bayqongyr*, Mangghystau (Aqtau), Pavlodar, Qaraghandy, Qostanay, Qyzylorda, Shyghys Qazaqstan [East Kazakhstan] (Oskemen), Shymkent*, Soltustik Qazaqstan [North Kazakhstan] (Petropavl), Turkistan, Ulytau (Zhezqazghan), Zhambyl (Taraz), Zhetisu (Taldyqorghan) note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses); in 1995, the Governments of Kazakhstan and Russia entered into an agreement whereby Russia would lease for a period of 20 years an area of 6,000 sq km enclosing the Baikonur space launch facilities and the city

Regions or States

• of Bayqongyr (Baikonur
• formerly Leninsk); in 2004
• a new agreement extended the lease to 2050

• Ak Zhol (Bright Path)
• Party or Democratic Party of Kazakhstan Ak Zhol [Azat PERUASHEV]
• Amanat Party [Yerlan KOSHANOV] (formerly Nur Otan (Radiant Fatherland))
• Baytak (Boundless)
• Party [Azamatkhan AMIRTAY]
• National Social Democratic Party or NSDP [Askhat RAKHIMZHANOV]
• People's Democratic (Patriotic)
• Party or Auyl or AHDPP [Ali BEKTAYEV]
• People's Party of Kazakhstan or QHP [Yermkhamet YERTYSBAYEV]
• Respublica Party [Avdarbek KHODZHANAZAROV]

• no citizenship by descent only: at least one paren
• no residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

ADB, CICA, CIS, CSTO, EAEU, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, EITI (compliant country), FAO, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UN Security Council (temporary), UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

chief of mission

Ambassador Daniel N. ROSENBLUM (since 14 November 2022) embassy: Rakhymzhan Koshkarbayev Avenue, No. 3, Astana 010010 mailing address: 2230 Astana, Washington DC 20521-2230

telephone

[7] (7172) 70-21-00

FAX

[7] (7172) 54-09-14

Email address and website

• USAKZ@state.gov
• https://kz.usembassy.gov/

consulate(s) general

Almaty

chief of mission

Ambassador Yerzhan ASHIKBAYEV (since 7 July 2021)

chancery

1401 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036

telephone

[1] (202) 232-5488

FAX

[1] (202) 232-5845

Email address and website

• washington@mfa.kz
• https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-washington?lang=en

consulate(s) general

New York