Transparency, Inclusion to Define Kazakhstan’s New Parliament

Gulmira Tukanova, Chief Expert of the Strategic Analysis Department at the Kazakh Institute for Strategic Studies, has said that transparency and inclusivity should become the defining quality benchmarks of Kazakhstan’s future Parliament.

In her assessment, these principles are essential to ensuring public trust, effective representation, and accountability as Kazakhstan moves toward a new parliamentary model shaped by large-scale political reforms, The Caspian Post reports via the Institute.

If approved at a nationwide referendum, Kazakhstan will pass to a unicameral Parliament. Transparency, accountability, and inclusivity are core features of mature democratic systems, making it essential to embed these principles in the new parliamentary model and the broader political system. This includes openness in decision-making, strong engagement between lawmakers and voters, and broad representation of societal interests.

The design of the reform should ensure full transparency across the legislative process - from the right of legislative initiative and expert review to the formation of working groups and the procedure for putting draft laws to a vote. Transparent decision-making enables voters to track all stages of lawmaking, understand the positions of participants, and assess final outcomes.

Greater openness is also expected to improve the effectiveness of deputies and political parties in working with their electorate, as it allows public scrutiny of proposals, debates, and decisions.

Given proposals to elect the Parliament exclusively under a proportional system, special attention must be paid to regulating internal party elections. Key questions include how party lists will be formed, whether they will be open or closed, how ranking on the lists will affect outcomes, and how seats will be allocated once electoral thresholds are met. In this context, internal party democracy and meritocracy gain particular importance, potentially encouraging the wider use of primary elections in Kazakhstan.

In addition, the new Parliament should provide greater access for civil society to information and lawmaking. This can be achieved through public hearings, parliamentary debates, and expanded access to the Parliament’s online platforms, strengthening public participation and trust in the legislative process.