2016 Kazakh legislative election

2016 Kazakh legislative election

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98 of the 107 seats in the Mäjilis 54 seats needed for a majority
Registered	9,810,852
Turnout	77.12% ( 1.68pp)
Majority party Minority party Third party   Leader Nursultan Nazarbayev Azat Peruashev Vladislav Kosarev Party Nur Otan Aq Jol QKHP Leader since 1 March 1999 2 July 2011 6 June 2004 Last election 83 8 7 Seats won 84 7 7 Seat change 1 1 Popular vote 6,183,757 540,406 537,123 Percentage 82.20% 7.18% 7.14% Swing 1.21pp 0.29pp 0.05pp
Chairman before election Kabibulla Dzhakupov Nur Otan Elected Chairman Baktykozha Izmukhambetov Nur Otan

Politics of Kazakhstan
CIS member state
Constitution Human rights President (list) Kassym-Jomart Tokayev Prime Minister Oljas Bektenov Security Council Chairman Kassym-Jomart Tokayev Parliament Senate Chairman Mäulen Äşimbaev Mäjilis Chairman Erlan Qoşanov Political parties Recent elections Presidential 2015 2019 2022 Parliamentary 2016 2021 2023 Administrative divisions Regions (oblıstar) Districts (audandar) Foreign relations Visa policy
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Legislative elections were held in Kazakhstan on 20 March 2016. The date was set by president Nursultan Nazarbayev on 20 January 2016, when he dissolved the Mäjilis after it had requested dissolution on 13 January, with the reason cited being the economic crisis caused by low oil prices. Normally, the term of the Mäjilis would have expired in fall of 2016.^[1]

The result was an expected victory for

On 13 January 2016 members of the Mäjilis voted unanimously to request Nazarbayev dissolve parliament. The reason was Nazarbayev's warning about a potential upcoming "real crisis" that would be caused by low oil prices.^[10] One week later, Nazarbayev set 20 March 2016 as the date for the snap elections, which would be held concurrently with elections to mäslihats (local legislative bodies).^[11]

Electoral system

The 98 directly elected members of the Mäjilis were elected from a single nationwide constituency by

The Auyl People's Democratic Patriotic Party presented its party list of 19 candidates at its 12th Extraordinary Congress on 1 February 2016, which according to the party's chairman Äli Bektaev, 70% of them worked in production, were heads of districts and cities while some of them were heads of ministries, agencies and first deputies. The Auyl announced its electoral platform in preservation and development of the national culture, development in rural areas through the introduction of modern technologies in the agricultural sector, tight control over the targeted and rational use of agricultural land, reduction in wage gap, establishment of "luxury tax" and the increased quality standards for medical services in the villages, payment towards spouses with 3 or more children, and an increase in scholarships to the level of the social standard of consumption.

JSDP

The opposition Nationwide Social Democratic Party (JSDP) was the first contesting party to hold its election campaign congress on 31 January 2016. From there, the party presented its list of 27 people from which JSDP Chairman Zharmakhan Tuyakbay stated that "there are a lot of organizational problems, in general, I tried to dodge this party list." Although he expressed doubts about running for seat in the Mäjilis, Tuyakbay noted that with him, the party list would count as 28 candidates.^[20] The JSDP adopted an anti-crisis platform titled "Get your voice back, get your country back!" which called to an end in the decline in the living standards of citizens, stopping the collapse of the tenge, transformation of an authoritarian regime to a democratic form of government, and an ensuring of the environmental safety by proposing a ban on the import and disposal of foreign nuclear and other hazardous waste on the territory of Kazakhstan. The party criticized the government's response to the crisis and sought for the expansion of production and consumption.^[21]

Birlik

On 5 February 2016, the

Observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR), the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) announced in their joint press release that the elections had been "efficiently organised with some progress noted, but they indicated that Kazakhstan still has a considerable way to go in meeting its OSCE commitments for democratic elections". The statement added: "The legal framework restricts fundamental civil and political rights, and comprehensive reform is required."^[23]

Results

The nine nominees were Sauytbek Abdrahmov, Vladimir Bozhko, Natalya Zhumadildayeva, Roman Kim, Narine Mikaelyan, Ahmet Muradov, Shaimardan Nurumov, Yury Tymochenko and Shakir Khakhazov.^[24]

By region

Akmola Region

Aktobe Region

Almaty Region

Atyrau Region

East Kazakhstan Region

Jambyl Region

West Kazakhstan Region

Karaganda Region

Kostanay Region

Kyzylorda Region

Mangystau Region

Pavlodar Region

North Kazakhstan Region

South Kazakhstan Region

City of Astana

City of Almaty

References

External links

• Central Election Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan