Kazakhstan’s parliament may be renamed “Qurultoy”

Kazakhstan’s parliament could be renamed “Qurultoy,” a proposal supported today, January 20, by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during his address at the fifth session of the National Qurultoy held in Kyzylorda.

“As you know, I previously put forward the initiative to establish a unicameral parliament. This is an extremely important issue that has been widely discussed in society. The main debates focused on what the new parliament should look like, how many deputies it should have, its structure, and how it should operate.

I can say that this was a very important, even decisive issue that required in-depth study, comprehensive analysis, careful consideration, and the adoption of a serious final decision. Now I would like to present to you the main proposals discussed within the working group.

First of all, I would like to share my view on the name of the future parliament. Simply put, I believe it should be called ‘Qurultoy,’” the Kazakh president said.

Tokayev noted that the historical scope and significance of the term “Qurultoy” are clear and close to the people.

“I personally initiated the revival of the Qurultoy in 2022. At the beginning of this address, I focused on the effectiveness and usefulness of the National Qurultoy’s activities. Overall, I believe that we should preserve the name ‘Qurultoy’ as a symbol of a very important state institution within our country’s political system,” the Kazakh leader added.

Tokayev also said that the number of mandates in the new parliament could be reduced to 145, with deputies elected under a single, unified system. Currently, the number of deputies stands at 148. It was also noted that the parliament may consist of eight committees. In addition, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed appointing members of key state bodies through parliament.

It should be recalled that earlier, in his address to the nation, Tokayev proposed transforming Kazakhstan’s parliament into a unicameral body and abolishing the Senate. He also stated that a referendum would be held to resolve this issue. Later, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized that parliamentary reform is a matter that will directly affect the fate of the country and the people of Kazakhstan.