ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Kurultai election campaign entered its final stretch, with nationally televised debates dominating the campaign. The debates offered voters an opportunity to compare the platforms of the seven competing political parties. Team TV debates of representatives of seven parties ruuning to Kurultai, on Jibek Joly TV channel on Aug.12.
Photo credit: Jibek Joly The campaign featured the first-ever team debates involving representatives of all seven parties, broadcast on the Jibek Joly television channel. The week also included a series of one-on-one debates between individual parties. The debates marked the only occasion during the campaign when parties appeared as full teams rather than individual candidates.
The format tested each party’s ability to present a unified position while responding to questions from opponents and viewers. The public could also vote in real time through QR-code polling. Political observers said the debates signaled the gradual emergence of a more interactive political culture in Kazakhstan, where candidates are expected not only to present policy proposals but also to defend them under public scrutiny.
That growing emphasis on policy differences was also reflected at an Aug. 14 meeting of the Sarap Expert Club in Astana. Experts said voters are increasingly looking beyond broad campaign promises and focusing instead on how parties propose to address issues such as healthcare, education and social protection, including how their policies would be financed and measured.
The main theme of the team debate was law and order, focusing on public safety, judicial reform, equality before the law and public trust in state institutions. The discussion drew public attention as voters looked beyond campaign slogans for concrete proposals to strengthen the country’s legal system.
“The third round of the election debates was particularly intense. Law and order is a topic that concerns everyone. Kazakhstan has accumulated extensive experience in legal reform, and that process continues to evolve. Much has been achieved, but there is always room for improvement,” Kazakh political scientist and historian Daniyar Ashimbayev wrote on his Telegram channel.
The debate also tested the parties’ ability to move beyond technical proposals and discuss broader values shaping the country’s political and legal system. The televised debate consisted of four rounds. Representatives explained why voters should support their parties before evaluating their rivals’ election platforms.
They then answered live questions from viewers and concluded by making one specific campaign pledge they committed to fulfilling if elected.