The Astana Times continues its weekly roundup of key developments in campaigning for Kazakhstan’s Kurultai elections scheduled for Aug. 23. This edition highlights candidates’ policy proposals. ASTANA – With campaigning underway for Kazakhstan’s Kurultai elections, seven political parties have unveiled programs outlining their priorities for the next parliamentary term.
While their agendas overlap on issues such as economic growth, healthcare and governance, each party emphasizes distinct policy goals and ideological approaches. Photo credit: Maksat Shagyrbaev/ Kazinform The Adilet party has unveiled its election platform, which outlines seven strategic goals and 10 policy priorities through 2031.
It emphasizes measurable results over political declarations, with priorities including expanding housing, improving healthcare, creating one million formal jobs and increasing the share of medium-sized businesses in the economy. Housing and social welfare feature prominently in the platform.
Adilet, which recently merged with Amanat party, aims to increase average housing space from 25 to 30 square meters per person, relocate approximately 30,000 residents from unsafe housing and complete 37 unfinished shared-equity housing projects. In healthcare, the party seeks to raise life expectancy above 77 years, shift the medical system toward preventive care and reduce mortality from cardiovascular diseases by at least 5%.
Infrastructure modernization is another major pillar. The party plans to bring 95% of local roads up to national standards, provide 97% of rural residents with high-speed internet and invest 13 trillion tenge (US$27 billion) in upgrading 86,000 kilometers of utility networks to reduce infrastructure deterioration to 40% by 2030.
A major focus is digital transformation, including AI training for at least five million Kazakhs and integrating AI into school and university curricula. The platform also calls for stricter fiscal discipline by limiting withdrawals from the National Fund to major infrastructure projects approved by the president.
The Aq Jol Democratic Party has presented its platform, highlighting democratic governance, market reforms and stronger parliamentary institutions. The party calls for expanding the Kurultai’s oversight powers, including the authority to conduct parliamentary investigations and exercise greater control over state finances.
It also proposes forming a coalition government that includes all parliamentary parties. Economically, Aq Jol advocates liberalization, greater competition, reduced state intervention, lower import duties on industrial inputs and targeted social assistance. Other priorities include electoral reform, anti-corruption measures, greater transparency in pension and health insurance funds and additional support for domestic manufacturers and technology industries.
The Auyl party’s platform focuses almost exclusively on strengthening Kazakhstan’s rural economy and agricultural sector. The party proposes adopting a food security law, reviewing legislation governing agriculture and rural development, revising the Land Code, redistributing agricultural land more equitably and granting agricultural workers special legal status.
It also seeks greater accountability for local officials. The party advocates establishing a fully state-owned Agricultural Bank to improve access to financing. It also proposes eliminating most taxes on agricultural producers, subsidizing utility costs for agribusinesses, expanding export support and creating guaranteed government procurement systems for agricultural products through cooperatives.