New observers accredited for the Kurultai elections

These include:

• 4 observers from the CIS Observation Mission;
• 19 observers from the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States;
• 32 observers from the OSCE/ODIHR Mission;
• 2 representatives from the Republic of Maldives, including the deputy chair of the country’s election commission;
• the Ambassador of Palestine to Kazakhstan, who serves as the head of the diplomatic corps accredited in Astana;
• the Ambassador of Venezuela to Kazakhstan;
• the Chargé d'Affaires of Hungary in Kazakhstan;
• 2 observers from Georgia, including the Chairman of the Georgian CEC, Giorgi Kalandarishvili;
• Iran – 2 representatives, including the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Iran to Kazakhstan, Ali Akbar Jokar;
• Sweden – 2 representatives, including the Swedish Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Stefan Eriksson;
• Kyrgyzstan – 2 observers;
• Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – 1 candidate: Polish Senator Kazimierz Kleina;
• Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization – 6 candidates, including the Assembly's Executive Secretary, Sergey Pospelov;
• OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights – 1 observer.

On July 1, a new Constitution came into force in Kazakhstan. Concurrently, the Mazhilis and Senate ceased operations, and their deputies' terms ended. Under the new Constitution, a unicameral parliament—the Kurultai—will operate instead of the bicameral legislature.

Elections for deputies of the new legislative body are scheduled for August 23. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed the corresponding decree. Seven political parties have been cleared to run.

Previously, the Central Election Commission approved the main stages of the election campaign for the Kurultai.