Why Kazakhstan’s Parliamentary Elections Matter
While the result is not in doubt, the elections could mark the next stage in Kazakhstan’s ongoing transition of power.
By
January 07, 2021
Kazakhstan’s acting President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev leaves a booth at a polling station during the presidential elections in Nur-Sultan, the capital city of Kazakhstan, Sunday, June 9, 2019.
Credit: AP Photo/Alexei Filippov
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Kazakhstan’s legislative elections, scheduled for January 10, have largely been written off by analysts as a foregone conclusion. The ruling Nur Otan party is set to maintain its dominant position in the Mazhilis, the lower house of parliament, with loyalist opposition parties potentially making symbolic gains. Genuine opposition forces have been excluded from running and activists appear to have lost the momentum found during the presidential elections of 2019, which saw a protest movement mobilize mass support. Recent prot