ASTANA – A nationally televised debate on education dominated Kazakhstan’s election campaign during the week of Aug. 3-9. Representatives of the country’s seven political parties outlined their visions for reforming the education system during the two-and-a-half-hour broadcast.
Representatives of the seven political parties competing in Kazakhstan’s Kurultai elections participate in a nationally televised debate broadcast by TV7. Photo credit: TV7 Telegram channel The debate consisted of four segments. Party representatives first presented their election platforms and questioned one another in an open discussion.
The second segment focused on education reform, with candidates responding to questions submitted through social media. During the third round, audience members in the studio posed questions before candidates concluded the event with final appeals to voters. Viewers also voted online for the most convincing performance.
The Adilet party received 45.48% of the vote, followed by Auyl with 15.58% and Respublica with 12.01%. The Nationwide Social Democratic Party (NSDP) placed fourth with 9.71%, followed by the Aq Jol Democratic Party (7.98%), the People’s Party of Kazakhstan (6.96%) and Baytaq Green Party (1.58%).
Another 0.7% of viewers said none of the participants had been convincing. A total of 73,628 people took part in the online poll. Meanwhile, parties continued campaigning across the country, promoting proposals on rural development, healthcare, business support and social inclusion.
The Adilet campaigned in the West Kazakhstan, Zhambyl, Kyzylorda and Kostanai regions, meeting residents in district centers as well as remote villages. The public raised concerns about road conditions, water supply, public utilities and social infrastructure. Poor mobile phone coverage and limited internet access in rural communities were recurring issues.
Party representatives said their election platform aims to provide high-quality internet access to at least 97% of Kazakhstan’s more than 6,000 rural settlements through a combination of mobile and fixed-line technologies. The Auyl party continued meetings with rural residents and agricultural workers, focusing on job creation, infrastructure development, modern farming technologies and measures to encourage young professionals to remain in rural areas.
The party representatives said all proposals and concerns raised during the meetings had been documented for follow-up. Food security was another key topic. According to the party, ensuring national food security depends not only on agricultural production but also on efficient storage, processing, market access and affordable distribution.
The representatives said strengthening every stage of the supply chain is essential for improving the country’s food security. The party met with manufacturing companies and logistics businesses in Almaty and the Almaty Region. Discussions focused on creating a more favorable environment for domestic manufacturing and reducing administrative burdens on businesses.
The party emphasized the need to encourage investment in the real economy and expand procurement opportunities for Kazakh producers.