Mäjilis

The Mäjilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, simply referred to as the Mäjilis, was the lower house of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, alongside the upper house Senate. Together, they formed 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 played a role in the legislative process, debating and passing laws, where lawmakers discussed 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 was led by a Mäjilis chairman and convenes in the Parliament Building situated in the Kazakhstan's capital city of Astana. Deputies of Mäjilis were 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 had 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 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 bicameralism. This new structure included the establishment of the Mäjilis, the lower house of Parliament. 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. 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. Despite some minor opposition gains in subsequent years, the 2012 parliamentary elections saw the Aq Jol and the Communist People's Party of Kazakhstan entering the Mäjilis. However, Nur Otan continued to maintain its party of power status, ensuring the party’s control over the legislative process. 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. Composition The Mäjilis is composed of 98 directly-elected members. Elections of Mäjilis deputies are held every five years (unless a snap election is called earlier) and are elected through mixed-member majoritarian representation: 69 seats via closed party-list proportional representation with a required 5% electoral threshold to win seats (which are allocated according to the largest remainder method), and 29 seats via first-past-the-post in single-member constituencies. Since 2021, Article 89 of the Constitutional Law "On Elections" requires for parties to include at least 30% quota of women, young people (aged under 29), and disabled persons within their electoral lists. Leadership 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. 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. 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 Committees The Mäjilis is composed of seven committees: Committee on Agrarian Issues Committee on Legislation and Judicial and Legal Reform Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and Security Committee on Social and Cultural Development Committee on Finance and Budget Committee on Issues of Ecology and Environmental Management Committee for Economic Reform and Regional Development Powers According to the Constitution of Kazakhstan, the exclusive jurisdiction of the Mazhilis includes: 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. List of Convocations Latest election Below are the results of the 2023 Kazakh legislative election, the latest legislative election: See also Majlis, an Arabic term used for the name of many legislatures in the Muslim world Notes References External links Parliament website Structure of Kazakhstan's government