Parliament of Kazakhstan

Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan Қазақстан Республикасының Парламенті (Kazakh) Парламент Республики Казахстан (Russian)
Type
Type	Bicameral
Houses	Senate (upper) Mazhilis (lower)
History
Founded	1996; 29 years ago (1996)
Preceded by	Supreme Council of Kazakhstan
Leadership
Chairman of the Senate	Mäulen Äşimbaev, Amanat
Chairman of the Mäjilis	Erlan Qoşanov, Amanat
Structure
Seats	Senate: 49 (34 elected and 15 appointment by the president) Mäjilis: 98
Senate political groups	Government (49)   Nonpartisan (49)
Mäjilis political groups	Government (62)   Amanat (62) Others (36)   Auyl (8)   Respublica (6)   Aq Jol (6)   People's Party (5)   Nationwide Social Democratic Party (4)   Independents (7)
Elections
Senate voting system	Indirectly elected by regional legislatures Appointment by the President and Assembly of People of Kazakhstan
Mäjilis voting system	Mixed-member majoritarian representation
Last Mäjilis election	19 March 2023
Meeting place
House of the Parliament, Astana
Website
www.parlam.kz

Politics of Kazakhstan
CIS member state
Constitution Human rights President (list) Kassym-Jomart Tokayev Prime Minister Oljas Bektenov Security Council Chairman Kassym-Jomart Tokayev Parliament Senate Chairman Mäulen Äşimbaev Mäjilis Chairman Erlan Qoşanov Political parties Recent elections Presidential 2015 2019 2022 Parliamentary 2016 2021 2023 Administrative divisions Regions (oblıstar) Districts (audandar) Foreign relations Visa policy
Other countries
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The Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan^[a] is the bicameral legislature of Kazakhstan, consisting of the upper house, the Senate, and the lower house, the Mäjilis. Both chambers conduct legislative sessions at the Parliament House in the capital of Astana.

The Mäjilis, the lower house, has 98 seats. Members are elected for five-year terms through a mixed-member majoritarian representation system. The Mäjilis plays a role in Kazakhstan’s legislative process, responsible for passing laws, approving the national budget, ratifying international treaties, and overseeing the executive branch. It also holds significant power in confirming key government appointments, such as the Prime Minister and cabinet members.

The Senate, the upper house, consists of 50 deputies who are appointed either by local legislative bodies (mäslihats), the President, or the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan for six-year terms. The Senate's responsibilities include reviewing and approving laws passed by the Mäjilis, confirming presidential appointments to the judiciary and executive branches, and approving key presidential decrees, particularly those related to military force or the declaration of a state of emergency. The Senate also represents regional interests of Kazakhstan, providing a more localized perspective in the national legislative process.

The Parliament of Kazakhstan was established under the Constitution in 1995, following the dissolution of the Supreme Council. The bicameral system marked a shift from the previous unicameral legislature. Over time, the Parliament has evolved to play a key role in shaping the legislative framework of Kazakhstan, contributing to the development of national policies and governance, and ensuring checks and balances within the political system.
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