Mäjilis
The Mäjilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Kazakh: Қазақстан Республикасы Парламенті Мәжілісі, romanized: Qazaqstan Respublikasy Parlamentî Mäjîlîsî; Russian: Мажилис Парламента Республики Казахстан), commonly referred to as Mäjilis or Mazhilis (Kazakh: Мәжіліс, lit. 'Assembly', Kazakh pronunciation: [mæʑɪlɪs]) 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 Mäjilis 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.
For other assemblies with similar names, see Majlis (disambiguation).
Mäjilis of the Parliament
Parlamenti Mäjilisi
Парламенті Мәжілісі
Парламенті Мәжілісі
30 January 1996[1]
98
Government (62)
- Amanat (62)
Others (36)
- Auyl (8)
- Respublica (6)
- Aq Jol (6)
- People's Party (5)
- Independents (7)
5 years
2028
With a membership of 98 deputies, the chamber is led by a 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-member constituencies.
Throughout its existence, the composition of the Mäjilis 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 Mäjilis has encountered instances of early dissolution, which impacted the convocation terms of the Parliament and the governance of Kazakhstan. Over the years, the Mäjilis has gained significant authority, including the power to approve governmental appointments by the president.
History[edit]
After the 1995 Kazakh constitutional referendum was held on 30 August 1995 where Kazakhstani voters overwhelmingly approved a new draft of the Constitution of Kazakhstan, a bicameral Parliament was established that included the lower house Mäjilis.[4]
In the 1995 elections, under the new parliamentary structure, all seats in both houses of parliament were contested in December 1995; runoff elections filled twenty-three seats in the Mäjilis for which the initial vote was inconclusive. International observers reported procedural violations in the Mäjilis voting. The new parliament, which was seated on 30 January 1996, included 68 Kazakh and 31 Russian members; 10 deputies members of which were women.
In the aftermath of the 2004 elections, the Otan became the first party in the Mäjilis to hold the majority of seats which became bigger after the Asar, Civic Party, and Agrarian Party merged with Otan in 2006.
After the constitutional amendments in May 2007, the seats in the Mäjilis were expanded from 77 to 107, and 98 of them were elected through party-list proportional representation that was used for the first time in the 2007 legislative elections.[5] From there, Nur Otan won all the contested seats, eliminating any opposition in the Mazhilis.[6]
In the 2012 legislative elections, minor parties, the Ak Zhol Democratic Party and Communist People's Party of Kazakhstan, entered into Mäjilis; however, the ruling party has maintained its dominant-party control since then.[7]
Constitutional amendments and electoral law changes in 2021 and 2022 eliminated the nine seats reserved for the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan, reduced the electoral threshold for proportional seats from 7% to 5%, and re-introduced single member constituencies.
According to the Constitution of Kazakhstan, the exclusive jurisdiction of the Mäjilis includes: