Parliament of KazakhstanThe Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan was the bicamerallegislature of Kazakhstan, consisting of the upper house, the Senate, and the lower house, the Mäjilis. Both chambers conducted legislative sessions at the Parliament House in the capital of Astana. The Mäjilis, the lower house, had 98 seats. Members were elected for five-year terms through a mixed-member majoritarian representation system.
1991 Kazakh presidential electionPresidential elections were held in Kazakhstan for the first time on 1 December 1991. Nursultan Nazarbayev was elected with 99% of the vote, based on a turnout of 88%. BackgroundOn 24 April 1990 the Supreme Council of the Kazakh SSR established the post of President of the Kazakh SSR and chose its chairman Nursultan Nazarbayev to be the president for a term of 6 years.
Presidential systemA presidential, strong-president, or single-executive system (sometimes also congressional system) is a form of government in which a head of government (usually titled "president") heads an executive branch that derives its authority and legitimacy from a source that is separate from the legislative branch. The system was popularized by its inclusion in the Constitution of the United States. This head of government is often also the head of state.
1995 Constitution of KazakhstanThe 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan was the highest law of Kazakhstan from 1995 to 2026 when it was replaced by the 2026 constitution of Kazakhstan. The Constitution was approved by a constitutional referendum on 30 August 1995. As a result of the 2026 Kazakh constitutional referendum, a new constitution is to take effect in Kazakhstan on 1 July 2026. Constitution Day thus falls on the date of the referendum, on 15 March.
Nursultan NazarbayevNursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev (born 6 July 1940) is a Kazakh politician who served as the first president of Kazakhstan from 1991 to 2019. He also held the special title of Elbasy from 2010 to 2022 and chairman of the Security Council from 1991 to 2022. Nazarbayev's political career began in the Soviet era, where he joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1962 while working as a steel factory worker.Parliamentary systemForm of governmentWorld's states colored by systems of government:Parliamentary systems: Head of government is elected or nominated by and accountable to the legislature. Constitutional monarchy with a ceremonial monarch Semi-constitutional monarchy: Monarch holds significant executive or legislative power but is still restricted by the constitution.
Supreme Court of KazakhstanThe Supreme Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan is the highest of three levels of courts of Kazakhstan, sitting above regional appeals courts, and city or district courts (courts of first instance). The Supreme Judicial Council recommends nominee Supreme Court judges to the President of Kazakhstan; the president then submits the nominees to the Senate of Kazakhstan for a vote of confirmation.
Election monitoringElection monitoring involves the observation of an election by one or more independent parties, typically from another country or from a non-governmental organization (NGO). The monitoring parties aim primarily to assess the conduct of an election process on the basis of national legislation and of international election standards. There are national and international election observers.
Shock therapy (economics)In economics, shock therapy is a group of policies intended to be implemented simultaneously in order to liberalize an economy, including liberalization of all prices, privatization, trade liberalization, and stabilization via tight monetary policies and fiscal policies. In the case of post-communist states, it was implemented in order to transition from a planned economy to a market economy.
KazakhstanKazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country situated primarily in Central Asia, with a portion of its territory extending into Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbekistan to the south, and Turkmenistan to the southwest, and it has a coastline along the Caspian Sea.1995 Kazakh presidential term referendumA referendum on extending the presidential term of Nursultan Nazarbayev was held in Kazakhstan on 29 April 1995. Voters were asked "Do you agree to prolong the term of office of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, publicly elected on 1 December 1991, until 1 December 2000?" The question was approved by 95.5% of voters, with turnout reported to be 91.2%.
MäjılısThe Mäjılıs of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, simply referred to as the Mäjılıs, was the lower house of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, alongside the upper house Senate. Together, they formed the national bicameral legislature of Kazakhstan, responsible for enacting legislation. Established by the Constitution of Kazakhstan following the 1995 constitutional referendum, the Mäjılıs was first convened in 1996.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.