Kazakhstan will hold early elections to the Mazhilis and Maslikhats on March 19. The Central Election Commission of Kazakhstan has adopted the corresponding resolution. According to recent developments in the country’s electoral legislation, 69 members of the Lower House of Parliament shall be elected in a single nationwide constituency, and 29 Mazhilis members shall be elected in single-mandate territorial constituencies. One half of all members of the Maslikhats of regions, cities of national significance, and the capital will be elected by the majoritarian system, and the other half by party lists. The requirements for candidates were also announced.
“To be eligible to run for a Mazhilis seat, a candidate must be a citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan who has resided on its territory for the past 10 years and should also be at least 25 years. A person with a criminal record that has not been expunged or removed according to the law, as well as a person whose guilt in committing a corruption crime and a corruption offense has been recognized by the court in accordance with the law, cannot become a candidate for the Mazhilis and Maslikhat seat,” said Konstantin Petrov, Deputy Chairperson of the Central Election Commission of Kazakhstan.
The process of nomination and self-nomination of candidates begins today, and will end on February 8 at 6 p.m. local time in each region. The election campaigning kicks off on February 18 and will run until March 18.
