The holding of elections of deputies of the Mazhilis of the Parliament and maslikhats of all levels in the first half of 2023 was announced by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart  Tokayev on September 1, 2022 in his Address to the people of Kazakhstan.

 

 

 

On January 19, 2023, the Head of State, by his decree, dissolved the 7th Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and also scheduled early elections of deputies on March 19, 2023.
 On January 20, 2023, the CEC of the Republic of Kazakhstan approved the calendar plan for holding elections to the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan and maslikhats.  The nomination period will last 20 days (from January 20, 2023 to 18:00, February 8, 2023).  The period for registration of candidates and party lists is 10 days longer (from January 20, 2023 to February 18, 2023).  The election campaign will be held from 18:00 on February 18 to 00:00 on March 18, total - 28 days.  March 18 is  the election silence.  March 19 is the  Election Day.
 These elections have a number of features:
 - For the first time since 2004, candidates to the Mazhilis will be elected in single-mandate constituencies (29 out of 98 deputies).  The rest of the deputies - according to party lists.  The deputies of the regional maslikhats will be elected on a 50/50 basis - half from party lists, half from single-mandate constituencies.  Deputies of city and district maslikhats are elected entirely from single-member constituencies;
 - it became possible to be nominated not only from parties and NGOs, but also through self-nomination;
 - the passing threshold for parties has been reduced from 7 to 5%;
 - The 30% quota for women, youth and persons with special needs in party lists will also apply to the distribution of mandates;
 - there will be no APK quota in the elections to the Mazhilis;
 - for the first time in the ballots for elections to the Mazhilis and maslikhats there will be a column "against all";
 - 7 political parties will participate in the elections, two of which are 
 registered in accordance with the new norms of the Law “On Political Parties”.  The CEC allowed the Democratic Party of Kazakhstan "Ak Zhol", the party "AMANAT", the People's Democratic Party "Auyl", the Kazakhstan Green Party "Baitak", the National Social Democratic Party, the People's Party of Kazakhstan, the party "Respublica" to participate in the elections to the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan  .  Due to the lack of relevant structural subdivisions, the "Baitak" party was admitted to the elections of deputies to maslikhats only in Atyrau, Karaganda and Kyzylorda regions.  The "Respublica" party, due to the lack of relevant structural subdivisions, was not allowed to participate in the elections of maslikhat deputies at all.
The rest of the parties are allowed to take part on election to deputies of maslikhats in all regions of the country.  Nevertheless, the parties "Baitak" and "Respublica" have the opportunity to obtain permission to participate in the relevant elections of deputies of maslikhats in case of opening and registering their branches and representative offices in the regions before 18:00 on February 8, 2023;
 - for citizens there is an opportunity to carry out the procedure for recalling an unscrupulous deputy.
 In general, parliamentary elections complete the process of forming a new political system of Kazakhstan in accordance with the new amendments to the Constitution of our country, adopted by referendum on June 5, 2022.