Kazakhstan - March 2023

Snap parliamentary and local elections returned a weakened majority for the ruling Amanat party on 19 March. While the government held the entry of new parties into parliament as a sign of the country’s liberalization, opposition, activists, and independent observers argued that independent candidates had been prevented from running and saw no signs nominal opposition parties would contest or interfere with government policymaking. The percentage of women in parliament fell from 27 per cent to 18 per cent. Turnout was a historic low of 54 per cent nationwide and 26 per cent in the capital, Astana.

Sources: EurasiaNet, Deutsche Welle Russian, IPU Parline