Kazakhstan Holds Early Elections for New Parliament

Kazakhstan has begun voting in early elections for a new, single-chamber parliament, the Kurultai, following sweeping constitutional changes that took effect in July. A total of 545 candidates from seven parties are competing for 145 seats, with lawmakers serving five-year terms. JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Authorities say the reforms will streamline lawmaking, but critics question whether they will loosen Kazakhstan’s highly centralised political system, where power remains concentrated in the presidency. The campaign has been dominated by Adilet (Justice), a new pro-presidential party that absorbed the former ruling Amanat party. Critics say the other six parties offer little genuine competition and broadly support President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Independent candidates were barred from running, while opposition groups were not registered. “I am 73 years old. I have been waiting for things to get better for 73 years, but so far, nothing has really worked out. Still, I hope that this year things will finally improve,” one voter told TVP World. TVP World correspondent Anastasiia Yanchenko, reporting from Astana, Kazakhstan, said “Sunday’s vote will be the first test of Kazakhstan’s new constitutional order, but may not deliver a significant change in Kazakhstan’s politics.” Close ties with Moscow The election is also being closely watched because of Kazakhstan’s ties with Russia. Other Topics of Interest Putin Claims Strikes Have “Positive” Impact After Deadly Mall Attack After a Russian double-tap strike on a Kryvyi Rih mall killed 16 people, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that attacks on Ukraine impact combat operations in a “positive way.” The two countries share a vast border and remain economic and military partners, although Tokayev recently called for the war in Ukraine to be frozen. One voter told TVP World: “We expect Kazakhstan to prosper, for everything to go well. The most important thing is that there is no war, and that the food prices come down, since everything is getting more expensive.” Polling stations will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time. International observers from 42 countries and 13 organizations are expected to monitor the vote. Election watchdog Erkindik Kanaty withdrew from monitoring for the first time in a decade, citing pressure on civil society and media, amid growing restrictions on independent journalists. TVP World is Poland's first English-language channel where you can find our guest interviews, world news from the Polish perspective and the latest news from the CEE region.