Mäjılıs

The 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. The chamber played a role in the legislative process, debating and passing laws, where lawmakers discussed key issues facing the country and propose solutions to address them by representing the interests of constituents.

With a membership of 98 deputies, the chamber was led by a Mäjılıs chairman and convenes in the Parliament Building situated in the Kazakhstan's capital city of Astana. Deputies of Mäjılıs were directly elected to five-year terms, with the electoral process employing a mixed voting system, where 70% of the seats are distributed under party lists with a 5% election threshold, and the other 30% are allocated through first-past-the-post (FPTP) in 29 single-memberconstituencies.

Throughout its existence, the composition of the Mäjılıs had been shaped by varying electoral systems and legislative reforms. From 1995 to 1999, it operated under the FPTP system before transitioning to a mixed-member majoritarian representation from 1999 to 2007, which blended constituency-based and party-list systems. Subsequent 2007 amendments saw the adoption of a party-list proportional representation system from 2007 to 2023, fostering the consolidation of political parties and the emergence of Amanat as the party of power. Notably, the chamber reverted to a mixed electoral system following the 2022 constitutional referendum, integrating proportional representation and constituency-based voting.

Moreover, the Mäjılıs has encountered instances of early dissolution, which impacted the convocation terms of the Parliament and the governance of Kazakhstan. Over the years, the Mäjılıs gained significant authority, including the power to approve governmental appointments by the president.