Government resignation and vice president appointment: what happens after the Kurultai elections

Tengrinews.kz — On August 23, Kazakhstan held its first election of deputies to the new unicameral Kurultai. However, the formation of the new legislative body will not be the only political change in the country. Political analysts told a Tengrinews.kz correspondent what transformations await Kazakhstan’s system of government after the election and what the next stages will be.
The first Kurultai: what will happen after the votes are counted
The procedure for finalizing the election results, forming the new Kurultai and appointing the Cabinet of Ministers is strictly regulated by the Constitution and relevant legislation.
The official election results will be announced by the Central Election Commission. Only parties that manage to clear the 5 percent electoral threshold will enter the Kurultai. The new parliament will consist of 145 deputies elected from party lists. Their term of office will be five years.

After the election results are finalized and the deputies’ mandates are confirmed, the President will convene the first session of the Kurultai and administer the oath to the deputies. Political analyst Tair Nigmanov explained that the new convocation’s powers will begin with the opening of its first session.

“The legally established deadline for convening the first session is no later than 30 days after the publication of the Kurultai election results. Under established political tradition, the first session is opened by the Head of State. The internal structure of the chamber is regulated by constitutional law. No more than eight committees may be formed within the Kurultai. Committee chairs are elected by open vote for each candidate nominated by the deputies themselves,” Nigmanov said.

The Kurultai will also receive a number of important powers in appointments and oversight. In particular, once elected, deputies will participate in approving candidates for prime minister and vice president, as well as in confirming certain constitutional appointments, including members of the Constitutional Court.
Another significant power will be stronger parliamentary oversight of the executive branch. For example, deputies will be able to oversee the work of the Supreme Audit Chamber, express no confidence in individual members of the government and seek their dismissal.
How political forces will be distributed in the new Kurultai
Analyzing the parties’ election platforms and ideological positioning, Tair Nigmanov stressed that despite their general support for the Head of State’s initiatives, significant differences remain between them. According to the expert, the political spectrum of the parties that took part in the race reflects different visions for the country’s development — from supporting business to social protection and environmental issues:

The Adilet Party positions itself as a centrist party and a “gravitational core” around which the main political forces are formed.
Ak Zhol presents itself as a traditional right-wing political party.
Respublica focuses on the economy, pragmatism and support for entrepreneurship.
The People’s Party of Kazakhstan (PPK) and the Nationwide Social Democratic Party (NSDP) share the left-wing of the political spectrum. Both parties declare socialist values and emphasize social support, although the NSDP separately highlights its experience as an opposition party.
The Auyl Party maintains its position as an agrarian party, focusing on the rural population, which makes up around 40 percent of the country’s residents, and promoting conservative values.

Photo © Tengrinews.kz / Nurlan Alzhabayev
Who will head the Kurultai
Another important question is who will become the speaker of the new parliament.
Unlike the bicameral model Kazakhstanis are accustomed to, all legislative power will now be concentrated in a single body. As a result, the position of Kurultai speaker takes on particular importance.

“The Chair of the Kurultai is nominated from among the deputies upon the President’s recommendation and approved by secret ballot of the chamber’s members,” Tair Nigmanov explained.

The speaker will be responsible for organizing the work of the new parliament and coordinating its interaction with the government and other state institutions.
How the Kurultai differs from the previous parliament
As Aidar Amrebayev, head of the Center for Comparative Political Studies at the Institute of Philosophy, Political Science and Religious Studies, noted, the Kurultai election reflects Kazakhstan’s transition to a new model of state-building.

“The President proclaimed the concept of a ‘three-part system of power’ — a strong President, an authoritative parliament and an accountable Government. A representative legislative branch is now being formed in the shape of the Kurultai,” the expert explained.

He also highlighted the principle by which the Kurultai is formed. Elections are held under a proportional system, meaning voters cast their ballots for parties rather than individual candidates.
The party that receives the most votes will have the opportunity to make its agenda a key national development priority, influencing budget parameters and government programs.
Photo © Tengrinews.kz / Nurlan Alzhabayev
Political analyst Talgat Kaliyev noted that the transition to a unicameral Parliament could accelerate the legislative process.

“First and foremost, Parliament’s role is legislative work. I think the passage of laws will become faster because bills will now go through three readings in a single chamber, without the need to be transferred from one chamber to another,” he explained.

Aidar Amrebayev believes the main changes will affect not only the speed of adopting legislation, but also the very nature of interaction between deputies, the government and society.

“One of the key differences of the new structure is the removal of the so-called Senate filter. Under the previous bicameral system, the Senate acted as an intermediate stage, reviewing Mazhilis bills for compliance with the interests of the executive branch. Under the new model, the Kurultai independently develops and advances legal acts, creating direct debate between lawmakers and the government without unnecessary intermediaries,” the expert said.

Photo © Tengrinews.kz / Nurlan Alzhabayev
Changes will also affect the system of parliamentary quotas. Previously, seats in Parliament were reserved for representatives of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan. The Kurultai will no longer have this quota, while the Assembly’s functions will be taken over by its “successor” — the advisory body Halyq Kenesi, which will continue to represent the country’s ethnocultural diversity.
Halyq Kenesi will have the right to develop proposals and recommendations on domestic policy, submit draft laws to the Kurultai and initiate nationwide referendums.
Government to resign
Once the Kurultai begins its work, the current government will be required to resign. After being appointed, the prime minister will have ten days to submit proposals on the structure and composition of the government. The President will appoint Cabinet members after consultations with the Kurultai.

“This procedure is stipulated in Paragraph 1 of Article 69 of the new Constitution: after the new Kurultai is formed, the current Cabinet of Ministers must resign before the newly elected supreme representative body. However, resignation does not mean that ministers will automatically leave their posts. The government will continue performing its duties until a new Cabinet is formed,” political analyst Talgat Kaliyev explained.

It is worth noting that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has already confirmed that the government will resign after the election. At the same time, the Head of State said that personnel changes are always inevitable, but he opposes the approach of “dismissals for the sake of dismissals.”
Appointment of the vice president
Under the updated Constitution, the office of vice president is being reinstated in Kazakhstan. The Head of State must appoint the vice president with the approval of the Kurultai within two months of the opening of the first session of the new convocation.
The position comes with a number of strict restrictions: the vice president will be prohibited from engaging in business, holding other paid positions, serving as a deputy or belonging to a political party. The vice president will assume the powers of the Head of State if the President’s term of office ends prematurely.

At the same time, the President said that it would become known within the next week or ten days who will take the post of vice president.

“It would be premature to name the person now. I think it will be a well-known figure whom you all know very well,” he said at a media briefing after voting in the Kurultai parliamentary election.

Beginning of a new political stage
As Talgat Kaliyev noted, the August 23 election is only the first stage in the transition to a new model of government. The next step will be the actual launch of the new Parliament.
The political analyst stressed that the real impact of the reform will become clear only after the first convocation of the Kurultai begins its work. In practice, it will become evident how much the new model will actually change the nature of the legislative process and political competition in Kazakhstan.
Earlier, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev spoke about the changes he expects after the Kurultai begins its work.
As a reminder, the Central Election Commission must establish the final election results by August 30.