The Mäjilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Kazakh: Қазақстан Республикасы Парламентінің Мәжілісі, romanized: Qazaqstan Respublikasy Parlamentınıñ Mäjılısı; Russian: Мажилис Парламента Республики Казахстан), commonly shortened as Mäjilis or Mazhilis (Kazakh Cyrillic: Мәжіліс [mæʒɘˈlɘs], lit. 'Assembly'), is the lower house of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, alongside the upper house Senate. Together, they form the national bicameral legislature of Kazakhstan, responsible for enacting legislation. Established by the Constitution of Kazakhstan following the 1995 constitutional referendum, the Mazhilis was first convened in 1996. The chamber plays role in the legislative process, debating and passing laws, where lawmakers discuss 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 is led by a Mäjilis chairman and convenes in the Parliament Building situated in the Kazakhstan's capital city of Astana. Deputies of Mäjilis are 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 Mazhilis has 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 Mazhilis has encountered instances of early dissolution, which impacted the convocation terms of the Parliament and the governance of Kazakhstan. Over the years, the Mazhilis has gained significant authority, including the power to approve governmental appointments by the president.
History
After the 1995 Kazakh constitutional referendum, held on 30 August 1995, which saw overwhelming approval by voters for a new draft of the Constitution of Kazakhstan, the country transitioned to a bicameralism. This new structure included the establishment of the Mäjilis, the lower house of Parliament.[4] The first parliamentary elections under this framework were held in December 1995, with all seats in both houses contested. However, the initial vote was inconclusive in some instances, necessitating runoff elections to fill 23 seats in the Mäjilis. These elections were marred by procedural violations, as reported by international observers. The newly formed parliament convened on 30 January 1996, and included a total of 99 members, with 68 Kazakh and 31 Russian representatives, as well as 10 female deputies.
In the wake of the 2004 elections, the Otan party emerged as the first political faction to secure a majority in the Mäjilis. This majority was further strengthened following the 2006 merger of Otan with the Asar, Civic Party, and Agrarian Party, significantly increasing its seats in the legislative body.
A key turning point came with the constitutional amendments of 2007, which expanded the number of seats in the Mäjilis from 77 to 107. For the first time, the 2007 parliamentary elections introduced a party-list proportional representation system, with 98 of the 107 seats being contested via proportional representation.[5] The reforms solidified the position of Nur Otan (the renamed Otan party), which won all of the contested seats, effectively eliminating any serious opposition in the Mäjilis.[6]
Further electoral reforms were introduced with constitutional amendments in 2021 and 2022, which eliminated the nine seats previously reserved for the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan. Additionally, the electoral threshold for parties to gain representation in the Mäjilis was lowered from 7% to 5%, and single-member constituencies were reintroduced, reshaping the way elections were conducted and increasing political representation at the local level. Despite these changes, Amanat continued to dominate the political landscape, reflecting the ongoing consolidation of power within the ruling party.
The Chairman of the Mäjilis heads the lower chamber and is elected by the Mäjilis deputies. The Mäjilis chairman opens sessions, convenes regular joint sessions and chairs the regular and extraordinary joint sessions of the Parliament.[10]
The Mäjilis chairmen is assisted by two Deputy Chairpersons who nominates them and are elected by the deputies of the Mäjilis. The Deputy Chairpersons of the Mäjilis carry out tasks made by the chairman who take on certain responsibilities if he or she is not able to.[10]
Members
The term of office of the Mäjilis deputies is five years. Regular elections for Mäjilis are held no later than two months before the end of the term of office of the current convocation of the Parliament. Snap elections of Mäjilis deputies are held within two months from the date of the early termination of the powers of the Mazhilis.
A member of the Mäjilis can be a person who has reached 25 years of age, is a citizen of Kazakhstan and has permanently resided in its territory for the last ten years.
Deprivation of a deputy of the Mäjilis of the Parliament of the mandate may be made when:
Withdrawal or expulsion of a deputy from a political party from which, in accordance with the constitutional law, he was elected
Termination of the activity of a political party, from which, in accordance with the constitutional law, the deputy was elected
Acceptance for consideration of draft constitutional laws submitted to the Parliament and consideration of these drafts;
By a majority vote of the total number of deputies of the chamber, giving consent to the President for the appointment of the Prime Minister
Announcement of the next presidential elections
Exercise of other powers assigned by the Constitution
The Mäjilis, by a majority of votes from the total number of Mazhilis members, on the initiative of at least one fifth of the total number of the members, has the right to express a vote of no confidence in the Government.
