ASTANA, Kazakhstan, August 22. The formation of a new political architecture should be viewed as a means of strengthening stability in Kazakhstan, Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Isetov said at a briefing for journalists ahead of the Kurultai elections, Trend’s special correspondent reports.
According to Isetov, reforms in Kazakhstan should be viewed in the context of changes taking place both within the country and across the wider region. “Today, the international system is becoming increasingly complex and less predictable. Geopolitical tensions are rising, trade and economic ties are changing, and competition for investment, technology and transport routes is intensifying. Under these circumstances, stability remains one of Kazakhstan’s key priorities,” Isetov said.
He emphasized that stability does not mean an absence of change. “In today’s world, stability requires the state to adapt to new circumstances in a timely manner. That is why the constitutional reform and the formation of a new political architecture should be viewed as a means of strengthening Kazakhstan’s stability,” he said.
On July 1, 2026, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree setting August 23, 2026, as the date for elections to the Kurultai, Kazakhstan’s unicameral parliament.
Previously, legislative power in Kazakhstan was exercised by a bicameral Parliament consisting of the Senate, the upper house, and the Mazhilis, the lower house. Under the new Constitution, which entered into force on July 1, 2026, Kazakhstan’s parliamentary system now provides for a unicameral Kurultai.
The Kurultai will comprise 145 members elected for five-year terms from party lists in a single nationwide electoral district through universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot.
Seven political parties are participating in the elections: Adilet, the Nationwide Social Democratic Party, the Baitak Green Party of Kazakhstan, the People’s Party of Kazakhstan, Auyl, the Ak Zhol Democratic Party of Kazakhstan and Respublica.
