August 23, 2026 6:05 PM

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Kazakhstan votes today in parliamentary election under new constitution

Kazakhstan is voting today in a parliamentary election that is expected to further strengthen President Kassymm Jomart Tokayev’s grip on power in Central Asia’s largest country. The election was triggered by the adoption of a new constitution earlier this year, which restructures the country’s parliament from a two-chamber system into a single chamber.

Kazakhstan’s Supreme Court last month said that the new constitution allows Tokayev, who took office in 2019, to seek another seven-year presidential term. The election marks the first vote for the country’s new single-chamber parliament, known as the Kurultai. The pro-presidential Adilet party is widely expected to win an overwhelming majority. Several opposition parties, all of which are seen as broadly loyal to Tokayev, are also contesting the election.