San Francisco Frontiers - OSCE says Kazakh elections lacked choice after ruling party wins landslide

Only seven state-approved parties were permitted to field candidates in Sunday's ballot, all of which largely supported President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's agenda.

The ruling Adilet party won more than 70 percent of the vote, handing it most of the parliament's 145 seats, while four other parties also secured representation.

Several other opposition groups were banned.

"The 23 August early parliamentary elections, while technically well prepared, took place in an environment lacking political pluralism," observers from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said in a statement.

"Political choice was reduced by the lack of distinct political alternatives, with all contesting parties supporting the incumbent President's policies," the group added.

The OSCE also accused the ruling Adilet party -- formed in 2026 -- of having an "undue advantage", alleging its campaign events sometimes coincided with free public events organised by the authorities.

Neither Kazakhstan or Adilet made an immediate public response to the OSCE's allegations.

The elections were the first to be held under Kazakhstan's new constitution, which abolished the senate in favour of a new unicameral legislature and reset term limits that would have otherwise been imposed on Tokayev.

Critics say the measures have further strengthened Tokayev's power in Kazakhstan, a vast Central Asian country bordering Russia and China.

J.Peterson--SFF