Otan (party)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Amanat (; ; officially stylized in
all caps In typography, text or font in all caps (short for "all capitals") contains capital letters without any lowercase letters. For example: All-caps text can be seen in legal documents, advertisements, newspaper headlines, and the titles on book co ...
), previously known as Nur Otan (; ), is a ruling political party of Kazakhstan and the largest political association in the country, with around 800,000 members as of 2023. The party holds a majority of seats in the
Mäjilis The Mäjilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan (; ), commonly shortened as Mäjilis or Mazhilis ( Kazakh Cyrillic: Мәжіліс , 'Assembly'), is the lower house of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, alongside the upper house Senate ...
, the lower house of
Parliament of Kazakhstan The Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan is the bicameral legislature of Kazakhstan, consisting of the upper house, the Senate, and the lower house, the Mäjilis. Both chambers conduct legislative sessions at the Parliament House in the cap ...
, maintaining its dominant influence in the nation's legislature. Originally founded in 1999 as the Otan (), the party was formed through the merger of several pro-presidential groups, including the People's Union of Kazakhstan Unity, the Liberal Movement of Kazakhstan, and the For Kazakhstan — 2030 Movement. In 2006, the party was renamed Nur Otan, and in 2022, it adopted the current name Amanat. Under the leadership of
Nursultan Nazarbayev Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev (born 6 July 1940) is a Kazakhstani politician who served as the first president of Kazakhstan from 1991 to 2019. He also held the special title of Elbasy from 2010 to 2022 and chairman of the Security Council of ...
from its founding following the 1999 presidential election until 2022, Amanat became the ruling party of Kazakhstan, consistently winning presidential and parliamentary elections with large supermajorities. The party was frequently accused of
electoral fraud Electoral fraud, sometimes referred to as election manipulation, voter fraud, or vote rigging, involves illegal interference with the process of an election, either by increasing the vote share of a favored candidate, depressing the vote share o ...
and systemically suppressing opposition, especially during elections where it held a monopoly in the Parliament. In
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
, Nur Otan secured all contested seats in the Mäjilis, cementing its status as the country's dominant political force. Allegations continued after
2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
, when other parties gained limited representation. After Nazarbayev’s withdrawal from active politics in 2022, Mäjilis chairman
Erlan Qoşanov Erlan Jaqanūly Qoşanov (, ; born 14 August 1962), sometimes romanized as Yerlan Koshanov, is a Kazakh politician who is serving as the member and Chairman of the Mäjilis, chairman of the Mäjilis since 2022. Prior to that, he served as the Pres ...
assumed the position of party leadership, becoming the first non-executive official to chair Amanat, following a brief tenure by President
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev Kassym-Jomart Kemeluly Tokayev (born 17 May 1953) is a Kazakhstani politician and diplomat who has served as the second president of Kazakhstan since 2019. He previously served as Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Prime Minister from 1999 to 2002 ...
. Despite this leadership transition, Amanat has remained a
party of power The term "party of power" refers to a political party that has a close relationship with the executive branch of government such that the party appears to function as an extension of the executive rather than as an autonomous political organizat ...
, continuing align towards Tokayev’s administration. The party strongly supported Tokayev’s constitutional reforms in the 2022 referendum that aimed at shifting to a more balanced president-parliamentary system, while also backing his successful independent campaign bid during the 2022 snap presidential election as part of the People’s Coalition. Since
2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
, Amanat has maintained its majority control of the Mäjilis, playing a central role in the nation’s political and economic developments. Amanat has been described as a big tent party, generally leaning
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
, with a focus on stability, national unity, and economic development. It promotes reforms in areas such as
civil service The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil service personnel hired rather than elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leadership. A civil service offic ...
,
economic diversification Economic diversity or economic diversification refers to variations in the economic status or the use of a broad range of economic activities in a region or country. Diversification is used as a strategy to encourage positive economic growth and d ...
, and the
rule of law The essence of the rule of law is that all people and institutions within a Body politic, political body are subject to the same laws. This concept is sometimes stated simply as "no one is above the law" or "all are equal before the law". Acco ...
. The party’s governance style has been described as
authoritarian Authoritarianism is a political system characterized by the rejection of political plurality, the use of strong central power to preserve the political ''status quo'', and reductions in democracy, separation of powers, civil liberties, and ...
, with critics noting restrictions on political freedoms and limited opposition. Amanat has a widespread presence across Kazakhstan’s administrative divisions and holds numerous local offices, maintaining legislative control through deputy groups in local assemblies (''
mäslihat A Mäslihat (, ) is a local representative body (parliament) in Kazakhstan that is elected by a population of a region, district and city. Etymology The word mäslihat is derived from the Arabic مَصْلَحَة ('' maṣlaḥa''), meaning " ...
s'') throughout the country.


History


Foundation

Amanat traces back to its origins in October 1998, when the Public Headquarters in Support of the Candidate for President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nazarbayev N.A. during the 1999 election was formed, then ran by former Prime Minister
Sergey Tereshchenko Sergey Alexandrovich Tereshchenko (; 30 March 1951 – 10 February 2023) was a Kazakhstani politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan from 1991 to 1994 and later as the acting chairman of Otan from 1999 to 2002. Life and caree ...
. The party derived its name from the Arabic word ''watan'' (fatherland), which is spelled as ''otan'' in the
Kazakh language Kazakh is a Turkic language of the Kipchak branch spoken in Central Asia by Kazakhs. It is closely related to Nogai, Kyrgyz and Karakalpak. It is the official language of Kazakhstan, and has official status in the Altai Republic of Russia ...
. Shortly following President
Nursultan Nazarbayev Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev (born 6 July 1940) is a Kazakhstani politician who served as the first president of Kazakhstan from 1991 to 2019. He also held the special title of Elbasy from 2010 to 2022 and chairman of the Security Council of ...
's re-election win, a decision was made at the headquarters' meeting on 19 January 1999 to convert the formerly campaign staff into the "Otan" Republican Political Party (; ), which was subsequently registered on 12 February 1999. Its 1st Founding Congress was held on 1 March 1999 in
Almaty Almaty, formerly Alma-Ata, is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population exceeding two million residents within its metropolitan area. Located in the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains ...
, an event which was attended by about 400 delegates from all regions, cities and districts of the country. Amongst them were representatives of 17 nationalities, 104 entrepreneurs and businessmen, 67 public sector workers, 122 civil servants. The party outlined a program largely supportive of
Nursultan Nazarbayev Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev (born 6 July 1940) is a Kazakhstani politician who served as the first president of Kazakhstan from 1991 to 2019. He also held the special title of Elbasy from 2010 to 2022 and chairman of the Security Council of ...
, who was elected by the delegates as the Otan chairman.Information on Political Parties Participating on the Basis of Party Slates in Elections to Majilis of Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan
/ref> However, Nazarbayev declined to take over the chairmanship on a constitutional basis, resulting in Tereshchenko taking the role as the acting chairman while Nazarbayev himself would serve as the ''de facto'' party leader. Speaking at the congress, the Nazarbayev stated that:
"The country can relatively painlessly survive the modern world challenges, only strengthening the internal economy, internal political stability, only demonstrating civil consolidation and solidarity. And in this regard, I have special hopes for the political party being created today, which we decided to call the word 'Otan' (Fatherland). The main thing is that the party is created from below, at the initiative of those thousands of volunteers who supported my candidacy for the Presidency in all the settlements of our country."
– President
Nursultan Nazarbayev Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev (born 6 July 1940) is a Kazakhstani politician who served as the first president of Kazakhstan from 1991 to 2019. He also held the special title of Elbasy from 2010 to 2022 and chairman of the Security Council of ...
, speaking at the 1st Founding Congress, 1 March 1999
At the congress, several pro-presidential parties: the People's Union of Kazakhstan Unity, Liberal Movement of Kazakhstan, Democratic Party, and For Kazakhstan-2030 were merged with Otan. On 23 April 1999, the party was re-registered in the
Ministry of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...
.


Nazarbayev leadership


1999–2006: Growth and consolidation

The Otan for the first time participated in the 1999 legislative elections, with 54 candidates from
single-member district A single-member district or constituency is an electoral district represented by a single officeholder. It contrasts with a multi-member district, which is represented by multiple officeholders. In some countries, such as Australia and India ...
s and 18 from the
party-list An electoral list is a grouping of candidates for election, usually found in proportional or mixed electoral systems, but also in some plurality electoral systems. An electoral list can be registered by a political party (a party list) or can c ...
for the
Mäjilis The Mäjilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan (; ), commonly shortened as Mäjilis or Mazhilis ( Kazakh Cyrillic: Мәжіліс , 'Assembly'), is the lower house of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, alongside the upper house Senate ...
. The party won a minority of 23 out of 77 seats with 30.9% of the vote with a majority of independents and political associates whom were affiliated with the party's
parliamentary group A parliamentary group, parliamentary caucus or political group is a group consisting of members of different political party, political parties or independent politicians with similar ideologies. Some parliamentary systems allow smaller politic ...
. On 14 December 1999, the Bureau of the Mäjilis registered the Otan parliamentary group with 39 MP's, which included 13 Senators, 26 Mäjilis members. By the decree of the party's Bureau of the Political Council, Quanyşbek Böltaev was approved as the head of the faction, and Urazalinov Sh.A. as the deputy. In the run-up to previous elections, Otan usually received a majority of domestic media coverage. Before the 1999 legislative elections, for example, it was reported that Otan was the main focus in almost 60% of the coverage.Media Bias Mars Kazakhstan's Election Campaign
EurasiaNet
On 20 April 2001, at the 3rd Ordinary Congress, Nazarbayev summarised the results of the party's work telling that "the party has gained good work experience and over the past years has shown that it lives up to its name and can work to strengthen statehood, to consolidate society, to protect the interests of citizens." At the 4th Extraordinary Congress held on 9 November 2002, the amendments and additions were made to the Otan's party charter, program for the development of small and medium-sized businesses for 2003–2005 was approved. Nazarbayev proclaimed three main themes of the congress agenda of which were: problems of political modernization, improvement of the political system–issues of further development of the economy and, accordingly, the solution of social programs–issues of security of the individual, society, the state. Nazarbayev proposed that the Otan should be a
centrist Centrism is the range of political ideologies that exist between left-wing politics and right-wing politics on the left–right political spectrum. It is associated with moderate politics, including people who strongly support moderate policie ...
party with
social democratic Social democracy is a Social philosophy, social, Economic ideology, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achi ...
platform to which he praised it as a "creative potential, advocating a state with a socially oriented market economy, with high social stability and a developed social infrastructure." From there, the People's Cooperative Party of Kazakhstan and Republican Political Party of Labour merged with Otan. By that time, the Otan had already 7,000 primary party organizations in all 206 district and city offices and 16 branches. 1,660 party members became members of regional, city and district
mäslihat A Mäslihat (, ) is a local representative body (parliament) in Kazakhstan that is elected by a population of a region, district and city. Etymology The word mäslihat is derived from the Arabic مَصْلَحَة ('' maṣlaḥa''), meaning " ...
s ''(local assemblies)''. In 2003, 2,240 members of the Otan were elected to mäslihats (local assemblies) of all levels. Having an overwhelming majority in the representative bodies of power at all levels, the party gained its opportunity to influence the socio-economic policy of the state by region. At the Otan's congress held on 15 June 2004,
Nursultan Nazarbayev Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev (born 6 July 1940) is a Kazakhstani politician who served as the first president of Kazakhstan from 1991 to 2019. He also held the special title of Elbasy from 2010 to 2022 and chairman of the Security Council of ...
proclaimed that the "unity is the main condition for prosperity of our people and state." and with the Otan claiming that the party representatives made up only six percent of the total 1,755 candidates that were nominated for the 2004 legislative elections. In the
2004 Kazakh legislative election 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is a square number, the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. Evolution of the H ...
, the party won 60.6% of the popular vote and 42 out of 77 seats with 35 being from
single-member district A single-member district or constituency is an electoral district represented by a single officeholder. It contrasts with a multi-member district, which is represented by multiple officeholders. In some countries, such as Australia and India ...
s, becoming a majority in the
Mäjilis The Mäjilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan (; ), commonly shortened as Mäjilis or Mazhilis ( Kazakh Cyrillic: Мәжіліс , 'Assembly'), is the lower house of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, alongside the upper house Senate ...
.
Zharmakhan Tuyakbay Zharmakhan Aitbaiuly Tuyakbay (, , ; born 22 November 1947) is a retired Kazakh politician. He was the chairman of the Nationwide Social Democratic Party from 2007 to 2019 and prior to that, he served as the Mäjilis chairman from 1999 to 20 ...
, Chairman of the Mazhilis and a party loyalist renounced his Otan membership and resigned from post as the Mazhilis Chairman after criticising the government of rigging the elections in favour of the party. Tuyakbay eventually joined the opposition and would lead
For a Just Kazakhstan For a Just Kazakhstan or For a Fair Kazakhstan (, ÄQÜ; ), was an electoral alliance that was founded by the Communist Party of Kazakhstan, the Naghyz Ak Zhol and the Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan as an opposition coalition to nominate a singl ...
alliance An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or sovereign state, states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an a ...
by running against Nazarbayev in the 2005 presidential election. On 9 September 2005, the 8th Otan Extraordinary Congress was held with the participation of the party leader and head of state
Nursultan Nazarbayev Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev (born 6 July 1940) is a Kazakhstani politician who served as the first president of Kazakhstan from 1991 to 2019. He also held the special title of Elbasy from 2010 to 2022 and chairman of the Security Council of ...
. For the first time, the delegates nominated Nazarbayev as a candidate for presidency. The party intended to unite all the constructive civic forces within the country on the platform of support for Nazarbayev and provide him with new opportunities to complete political reforms. The Otan pledged to implement the initiatives set by Nazarbayev of which were reviving the rural villages, developing agricultural production, domestic industry, small and medium-sized businesses. The Otan merged with
Dariga Nazarbayeva Dariğa Nūrsūltanqyzy Nazarbaeva (; born 7 May 1963) is a Kazakh businesswoman and politician who is the daughter of Nursultan Nazarbayev who was the President of Kazakhstan from 1990 to 2019. She was a member of the Mäjilis from 2004 to 200 ...
's Asar on 4 July 2006, increasing the party's seats by 4 to 46 out of 77.Kazakhstan: Ruling Party Gets Even Bigger
RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
After the merged party was formed, Nazarbayev remarked to his daughter "Tell your Asar members that... you are returning to your father."Parties of Kazakh Leader, Daughter Merge
Townhall
Dariga, on 19 June 2006, said that all pro-presidential parties should combine to create a grouping "with which no other party will be able to compete in the next 50 years."Analysis: Kazakh premier takes over daughter's party
Middle East Times
In November 2006, it was announced that the
Civic Party The Civic Party (CP) was a pro-democracy camp, pro-democracy liberalism in Hong Kong, liberal political party from March 2006 to May 2023 in Hong Kong. The party was formed in 2006 on the basis of the Article 45 Concern Group, Basic Law Ar ...
and the Agrarian Party would follow in Asar's path and also merge with Otan to increase the party's share of MP's from 46 to 57 seats out of 77. Nazarbayev said he expected other parties to merge with Otan. Nazarbayev said there should be fewer, stronger parties that "efficiently defend the interests of the population." At the subsequent party congress on 22 December 2006, delegates voted to rename Otan into the "Nur Otan" People's Democratic Party (; ).


2006–2013: Rebranding and further developments

On 4 July 2007, at the 11th Nur Otan Extraordinary Congress, Nazarbayev declared himself as sole leader of the party. This came after the dissolution of the
3rd Mazhilis The Mäjilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan of the 3rd convocation was the legislative term of the lower house of the Parliament of Kazakhstan. It lasted from 3 November 2004 until the dissolution of the Parliament on 20 June 2007 ...
in June 2007 and amendments to the Constitution of Kazakhstan, which removed limit on president's activities with political parties during his term of office. At the congress, Baqytjan Jumagulov became the First Deputy Chairman while
Kairat Kelimbetov Kairat Kelimbetov (, ''Қайрат Нематұлы Келімбетов''; born 28 January 1969) is a Kazakh politician, from 2015 to 2022, he held the position of the Governor of the Astana International Financial Centre. He served as a Govern ...
and
Sergey Gromov Sergey Nikolayevich Gromov (; born 6 January 1959) is a Kazakh politician who served as a Deputy Chairman of the Senate of Kazakhstan from January 2016 to August 2019. Biography Early life and education Gromov was born in the village of Ak ...
were elected as deputy chairmen and the amendments to the Constitution which changed Kazakhstan's electoral system, the Nur Otan presented 127 persons in the party-list which were scheduled to be elected for the first time through
proportional representation Proportional representation (PR) refers to any electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to political divisions (Political party, political parties) amon ...
. In the August 2007 legislative elections, the Nur Otan won 88.1% of the vote and all the contested seats, making it the highest share for the party in history while other parties were unable pass the 7%
electoral threshold The electoral threshold, or election threshold, is the minimum share of votes that a candidate or political party requires before they become entitled to representation or additional seats in a legislature. This limit can operate in various ...
, thus leaving the Nur Otan to have a sole party representation in the
Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
. This made the party become a central factor in the political decision-making process within the government, being compared to the
Communist Party of the Soviet Union The Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU),. Abbreviated in Russian as КПСС, ''KPSS''. at some points known as the Russian Communist Party (RCP), All-Union Communist Party and Bolshevik Party, and sometimes referred to as the Soviet ...
by the opposition. In 2008, the Nur Otan formed its
youth wing A youth wing is a subsidiary, autonomous, or independently allied front of a larger organization (usually a political party but occasionally another type of organization) that is formed in order to rally support for that organization from members ...
named Jas Otan and that same year in February, the party signed a cooperation agreement with the Agency of Combating Economic and Corruption Crime to which according to First Deputy Chairman
Adilbek Zhaksybekov Adilbek Ryskeldiuly Zhaqsybekov (, ''Ädılbek Ryskeldıūly Jaqsybekov'') (born 26 July 1954) is current Head of the Executive Office of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. He served as the minister of defence from June 2009 to April 20 ...
: "The public councils will influence through the media, through methods of public influence, so that cases brought for corruption offences are brought to an end." Just one month later on 3 March 2008, the Nur Otan Republican Public Anti-Corruption Council was formed, which was an advisory body under the party aimed at fighting corruption. At the Nur Otan Anti-Corruption Forum held on 6 November 2008, Nazarbayev proposed the creation of the Committee of Party Control which would provide public support and help the Nur Otan fight the corruption. He also called for the party to cooperate with non-government organisations (NGOs) and that the Nur Otan should keep issues of corruption in the health and justice system on the stand. That same day, changes took place within the party. Boran Raqymbekov was appointed as the chairman of the party's control committee, while new secretary posts were formed for the Nur Otan organisational and mass work with
Sergey Gromov Sergey Nikolayevich Gromov (; born 6 January 1959) is a Kazakh politician who served as a Deputy Chairman of the Senate of Kazakhstan from January 2016 to August 2019. Biography Early life and education Gromov was born in the village of Ak ...
and
Erlan Karin Erlan Tynymbaiuly Qarin (; born on 26 May 1976 in Aksukent, Sayram District) is a Kazakh politician who is the current State Counsellor of Kazakhstan. He was born on May 26, 1976, in the village of Aksukent, and comes from the Adai clan of t ...
being appointed as the secretaries. On 15 May 2009, the 12th Nur Otan Extraordinary Congress was held, from there Nazarbayev presented a plan for the nation to recover from the
Great Recession The Great Recession was a period of market decline in economies around the world that occurred from late 2007 to mid-2009.
and urged for the party members to develop Innovative development, raise the standard of living, and stability in society. He also called for a diversification within the economy, claiming that the agricultural sector would make great contributation to the cause. The congress also addressed the issues of improving the system of government, combating corruption and improving the efficiency of the party itself. In May 2010, a Higher Party School was formed under the party, which aimed at improving the party's political studies. At the 14th Extraordinary Congress held on 25 November 2011, the party unveiled its electoral platform called the "Kazakhstan 2017 Goals National Plan of Action". At the congress, Nazarbayev stated that "in the 21st century only strong states can develop successfully. As the political leadership party Nur Otan, it takes responsibility for the future of the country, the stability of society and the continuity of the political course in the coming decades." After the 2007 elections, the Nur Otan received backlash amongst opposition and international organisations. This eventually led to the
Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
, which the Nur Otan controlled, to pass an amendment that would guarantee for the opposing party to have a mandate in the Mazhilis whether it reaches the required 7%
electoral threshold The electoral threshold, or election threshold, is the minimum share of votes that a candidate or political party requires before they become entitled to representation or additional seats in a legislature. This limit can operate in various ...
or not, with lawmakers from the Nur Otan itself who called for a
multi-party system In political science, a multi-party system is a political system where more than two meaningfully-distinct political parties regularly run for office and win elections. Multi-party systems tend to be more common in countries using proportional ...
. The Nur Otan at the 2012 legislative election swept 80.9% of the vote, winning a
supermajority A supermajority is a requirement for a proposal to gain a specified level of support which is greater than the threshold of one-half used for a simple majority. Supermajority rules in a democracy can help to prevent a majority from eroding fun ...
of 83 out of 98 seats, although suffering its worst loss of 15 seats in comparison to
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
. Two parties: the
Ak Zhol Democratic Party The Aq Jol (, ), officially the "Aq Jol" Democratic Party of Kazakhstan (, ) is a liberal-conservative political party in Kazakhstan. The Aq Jol is led by Azat Peruaşev, a deputy of the Mäjilis. The Aq Jol party was formed in early 2002, afte ...
and
Communist People's Party of Kazakhstan The People's Party of Kazakhstan is a left-wing social democratic political party in Kazakhstan, chaired by Ermūhamet Ertısbaev. The secretaries of the central committee are Turgyn Syzdyqov, Gauhar Nugmanova, Viktor Smirnov and Jambyl Ahmetb ...
gained its presence in the
Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
, although they were viewed as loyal to the government.


2013–2022: Political and economic reforms

On 17–18 October 2013, at the 15th Nur Otan Extraordinary Congress in
Astana Astana is the capital city of Kazakhstan. With a population of 1,423,726 within the city limits, it is the second-largest in the country after Almaty, which had been the capital until 1997. The city lies on the banks of the Ishim (river), Ishim ...
of which was attended by 1,200 delegates representing all regional branches of the party and more than a 1,000 guests. The Nur Otan presented its doctrine to which called for evolutionary development and to build a democratic, prosperous, competitive and socially oriented state where every motivated, law-abiding and hard-working citizen would benefit himself and society. At the congress, a decision was made to adopt a new full name for the party as simply "Nur Otan", removing the "People's Democratic" wording in which First Deputy Chairman
Bauyrjan Baibek Bauyrjan Qydyrgaliuly Baibek (born 19 March 1974) is a Kazakh politician who served as the äkim of Almaty from 9 August 2015 to 28 June 2019. Along party lines. Baibek was the First Deputy Chairman of Nur Otan from 29 June 2019 to 2 February 20 ...
argued that political parties do not put "ideological affiliation" in their name as basis for "international practice". At the Nur Otan Political Council meeting on 11 November 2014, Nazarbayev addressed the nation on the Nurly Jol economic plan and an Anti-Corruption Program for 2015–2025 was adopted to which according to Baibek noted that the main indicator for the effectiveness of the program would be Kazakhstan's entry into the world's top 30 most developed economies. On 11 March 2015, at the 16th Ordinary Congress held at the Palace of Independence, around 1,200 delegates took part in which for the first time more than 20% of them were heads of primary party organizations. At the congress, the participants discussed the issues in the results of works by the Political Council, Central Control, Audit Commission as well as the candidacy nomination for the 2015 presidential election. Nazarbayev for the last time became a presidential nominee for the Nur Otan and at the congress, put forward his proposed five institutional reforms in response to the economic challenges which were the formation of a modern, professional and autonomous state apparatus; ensuring the rule of law; industrialization and economic growth based on diversification; a nation of a common future; and a transparent and accountable state. Nazarbayev insisted that his proposals would strengthen the country and its entry into the top 30 developed countries of the world. In the presidential elections, Nazarbayev would go on to officially sweep 97.7% of the vote. Following the announcement of the 2016 legislative elections, the 17th Nur Otan Extraordinary Congress took place on 29 January 2016 which Nazarbayev proclaimed it as a "historical moment", reflecting his 17-year chairmanship of the party where he claimed that it become a "basis for concrete achievements of our economy, state and society". At the congress, a party list and the Kazakhstan-2021: Unity. Stability. Creation electoral programme were approved in which Nazarbayev outlined its key areas of anti-crisis stabilization; structural modernization of the economy; new standards of quality of life for Kazakh citizens; constitutional patriotism; regional stability, integration and security. In the aftermath of 2016 legislative elections, the Nur Otan won an extra seat and 82.2% of the vote, a margin slightly more than compared to
2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
from which Nazarbayev called it "a great accomplishment of our democracy." Nazarbayev's daughter, Dariga, became an MP from the party list which fueled speculations in regard to potential political succession. On 3 November 2017, an expanded meeting of the Political Council was held from where Nazarbayev noted the Nur Otan's role in the constitutional reforms, insisting that the party should "become not just a tribune for explaining the meaning of the reform, but also be its active guide at all levels". During the meeting, the party discussed its results from activities for the first 10 months of 2017 and made changes to its composition in the Bureau of the Political Council.
National Security Committee A national security council (NSC) is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security. An NSC is often headed by a na ...
chairman
Karim Massimov Karim Qajymqanuly Massimov (, , ; born 15 June 1965)Kazakhstan moves to ...
was removed from the council membership, which according to the Nur Otan secretary Qanybek Jūmaşev, was due to the party's charter where it forbids persons to work in the law enforcement system and have membership to the party simultaneously. Massimov was replaced by Presidential Administration head
Adilbek Zhaksybekov Adilbek Ryskeldiuly Zhaqsybekov (, ''Ädılbek Ryskeldıūly Jaqsybekov'') (born 26 July 1954) is current Head of the Executive Office of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. He served as the minister of defence from June 2009 to April 20 ...
who was supported unanimously.


Tokayev leadership

On 23 November 2021, Aidos Ukibai, the spokesperson for Kazakhstan's first president,
Nursultan Nazarbayev Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev (born 6 July 1940) is a Kazakhstani politician who served as the first president of Kazakhstan from 1991 to 2019. He also held the special title of Elbasy from 2010 to 2022 and chairman of the Security Council of ...
, announced that Nazarbayev would transfer the chairmanship of the Nur Otan party to the incumbent president,
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev Kassym-Jomart Kemeluly Tokayev (born 17 May 1953) is a Kazakhstani politician and diplomat who has served as the second president of Kazakhstan since 2019. He previously served as Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Prime Minister from 1999 to 2002 ...
. On 28 January 2022, at the 21st Extraordinary Congress of Nur Otan, the party underwent a leadership transition as Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was unanimously elected chairman, succeeding Nursultan Nazarbayev, who had led the party since its founding in 1999. The transition was endorsed by Nazarbayev and marked a shift in the party’s direction. Addressing the congress, Tokayev outlined key priorities aimed at revitalizing the party’s role in governance, including reinforcing national unity, enhancing ideological engagement, restructuring the party's faction presence in the
Mäjilis The Mäjilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan (; ), commonly shortened as Mäjilis or Mazhilis ( Kazakh Cyrillic: Мәжіліс , 'Assembly'), is the lower house of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, alongside the upper house Senate ...
, tackling socio-economic challenges, strengthening public outreach, and intensifying anti-corruption efforts. He also signaled the possibility of stepping down as chairman later in the year, citing the importance of presidential impartiality in political affairs. Following this transition, several key changes took place within the party's political structure. On 1 February 2022, Nurlan Nigmatullin resigned from his position as
chairman of the Mäjilis The Chairman of the Mäjilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan (; ) is a presiding officer of the lower house Mäjilis of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, and is responsible for opening sessions, preside over regular and extraordinary ...
, a role he had held since 2016. Additionally, on 25 February 2022,
Dariga Nazarbayeva Dariğa Nūrsūltanqyzy Nazarbaeva (; born 7 May 1963) is a Kazakh businesswoman and politician who is the daughter of Nursultan Nazarbayev who was the President of Kazakhstan from 1990 to 2019. She was a member of the Mäjilis from 2004 to 200 ...
, the daughter of Nazarbayev, stepped down from her parliamentary mandate. At the 22nd Extraordinary Congress of Nur Otan, held on 1 March 2022, Tokayev supported a proposal by
Erlan Qoşanov Erlan Jaqanūly Qoşanov (, ; born 14 August 1962), sometimes romanized as Yerlan Koshanov, is a Kazakh politician who is serving as the member and Chairman of the Mäjilis, chairman of the Mäjilis since 2022. Prior to that, he served as the Pres ...
to rename the party to Amanat, signifying a renewed vision and commitment to national interests. During the congress, Tokayev emphasized the need to decentralize party structures, enhance direct voter engagement, shift focus from populist rhetoric to addressing concrete social issues, and launch new citizen-driven policy initiatives to strengthen Kazakhstan’s political stability amid global uncertainties. A significant outcome of the congress was the removal of Nurlan Nigmatullin from the Amanat Political Council, following his earlier resignation as chairman of the Mäjilis.


Qoşanov leadership

On 26 April 2022, at the 23rd Extraordinary Congress of Amanat, Tokayev formally resigned from his position as party chairman and withdrew from membership, reinforcing his commitment to presidential neutrality and emphasized that the president should not be affiliated with any political party, which he believed would promote fairness and ensure equal opportunities for all political forces. Tokayev's resignation followed significant changes within the party, including the merger of the
Adal Adal may refer to: *A short form for Germanic names in ''aþala-'' (Old High German ''adal-''), "nobility, pedigree"; see Othalan ** Adál Maldonado (1948–2020), Puerto Rican artist ** Adal Ramones (born 1969), Mexican television show host ** A ...
party with Amanat. In his speech at the congress, Tokayev expressed confidence that Amanat would remain pivotal in Kazakhstan's political life without his leadership, nominating
Erlan Qoşanov Erlan Jaqanūly Qoşanov (, ; born 14 August 1962), sometimes romanized as Yerlan Koshanov, is a Kazakh politician who is serving as the member and Chairman of the Mäjilis, chairman of the Mäjilis since 2022. Prior to that, he served as the Pres ...
, Chairman of the Mäjilis, as his successor due to his extensive experience and leadership capabilities, with the congress delegates unanimously approving his candidacy, marking a new phase in Amanat’s political leadership and direction. After taking over as chairman of Amanat, Qoşanov highlighted the intensified political competition following Tokayev's departure from the party, stressing that the party's responsibility lies in addressing societal issues and resolving citizens' concerns to achieve electoral success. He reaffirmed the party’s commitment to supporting President Tokayev’s reforms, focusing on political, economic, and social changes to improve citizens' lives and increase competition in various sectors. Qoşanov emphasized the need for clear roadmaps and regional targets to implement the election program, while ensuring Amanat's active role in building a
New Kazakhstan New Kazakhstan (; ) is a concept developed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev that represents a forward-looking national aspiration for progress, renewal, and modernization in various aspects of Kazakhstan's governance and society. It was first pro ...
and combating bureaucracy for meaningful progress.


Organisation

The party operates based on principles like voluntariness, equality, self-government, legality, and transparency, with its mission and values outlined in the political platform.


Membership

Membership in Amanat is voluntary, open to Kazakh citizens aged 18 and over who meet the party's requirements, participate in its activities, and pay dues. Members cannot belong to other political parties, and admission is decided by local or higher party organizations based on written applications. Membership may be terminated for reasons such as voluntary withdrawal, legal issues, or actions harmful to the party's interests, with penalties ranging from warnings to expulsion. Members have the right to participate in party activities, voice opinions, and appeal decisions. They must adhere to the party's charter, actively support its goals, pay dues, and attend meetings. As of 1 January 2018, the Amanat party reported to had 1,016,540 members, a significant growth from 164,041 in 2000. The party's membership demographics is predominantly female, with 63.8% women and 36.2% men. In terms of age, 17% of members are under 30, 26.7% are between 30-40, and 23.6% are aged 41-50. Older members, aged 51-60, make up 20.1%, and 12.6% are over 60. Ethnically, 77.3% of the members are Kazakh, followed by 14.6%
Russians Russians ( ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Eastern Europe. Their mother tongue is Russian language, Russian, the most spoken Slavic languages, Slavic language. The majority of Russians adhere to Eastern Orthodox Church ...
, and smaller groups of
Ukrainians Ukrainians (, ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. Their native tongue is Ukrainian language, Ukrainian, and the majority adhere to Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, forming the List of contemporary eth ...
(1.9%),
Uzbeks The Uzbeks () are a Turkic peoples, Turkic ethnic group native to Central Asia, being among the largest Turkic ethnic groups in the area. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, next to Kazakhs, Kazakh and Karakalpaks, Karakalpak ...
(1.4%),
Germans Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, constitution of Germany, imple ...
(0.8%),
Tatars Tatars ( )Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary
are a group of Turkic peoples across Eas ...
(0.8%), and others (3.2%). Regarding education, 52.7% hold
higher education Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...
, 25.1% are middle professionals, and 22.2% have middle-level education. Professionally, 29.5% work in education, science, and culture, 24% in industry and services, and 4.6% in state bodies. Other sectors include healthcare (7.9%), agriculture (1.5%), small and medium business (4.1%), and college students (2.4%). Additionally, 14.1% are pensioners, 1.3% are disabled, and 10.6% belong to other professions.


Regional branches

Organizational structure adheres to territorial principles, encompassing regional, territorial branches, and primary party organizations established in compliance with Kazakhstan's legislation. While regional branches span regions and cities of republican significance, primary organizations are foundational units formed with a minimum of three members, potentially gaining branch rights with significant membership. These entities, although not legal entities themselves, operate under party regulations, adhering to charter directives, program documents, and higher party decisions, including making recommendations for key political nominations.


Parliamentary group

Amanat facilitates the formation of faction in the
Mäjilis The Mäjilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan (; ), commonly shortened as Mäjilis or Mazhilis ( Kazakh Cyrillic: Мәжіліс , 'Assembly'), is the lower house of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, alongside the upper house Senate ...
of the
Parliament of Kazakhstan The Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan is the bicameral legislature of Kazakhstan, consisting of the upper house, the Senate, and the lower house, the Mäjilis. Both chambers conduct legislative sessions at the Parliament House in the cap ...
and as groups in local representative bodies (
mäslihat A Mäslihat (, ) is a local representative body (parliament) in Kazakhstan that is elected by a population of a region, district and city. Etymology The word mäslihat is derived from the Arabic مَصْلَحَة ('' maṣlaḥa''), meaning " ...
) with their registration and operations governed by respective regulations. These associations elect their heads based on party recommendations and receive support from the party's structural units. They have distinct responsibilities, including participation in legislative processes, holding consultations on key government appointments, and can even initiate significant political actions such as
motion of no confidence A motion or vote of no confidence (or the inverse, a motion or vote of confidence) is a motion and corresponding vote thereon in a deliberative assembly (usually a legislative body) as to whether an officer (typically an executive) is deemed fi ...
. When a party member serves as a
deputy Deputy or depute may refer to: * Steward (office) * Khalifa, an Arabic title that can signify "deputy" * Deputy (legislator), a legislator in many countries and regions, including: ** A member of a Chamber of Deputies, for example in Italy, Spain, ...
, they are mandated to be active members of their respective deputy factions or groups, uphold and implement party decisions, engage with constituents, report on their activities, and manage public receptions through the party.


International partnership

Despite not being affiliated with any
political international A political international is a transnational organization of political parties having similar ideology or political orientation (e.g. liberalism, socialism, Islamism). The international works together on points of agreement to co-ordinate activ ...
, Amanat has signed and renewed numerous cooperation agreements with other political parties worldwide. In October 2011, one was signed in
Astana Astana is the capital city of Kazakhstan. With a population of 1,423,726 within the city limits, it is the second-largest in the country after Almaty, which had been the capital until 1997. The city lies on the banks of the Ishim (river), Ishim ...
between Amanat and the Ukrainian
Party of Regions A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature ...
, and another in 2015 with
United Russia The All-Russian Political Party United Russia (, ) is the Ruling party, ruling List of political parties in Russia, political party of Russia. As the largest party in the Russian Federation, it holds 325 (or 72.22%) of the 450 seats in the St ...
.


Jastar Ruhy

Jastar Ruhy Jastar Ruhy ( ; 'Youth Spirit'), previously known as Jas Otan ( ; 'Young Fatherland') until 2022, is a youth wing of AMANAT (political party), AMANAT, the ruling party of Kazakhstan. The youth organisation was originally formed at the 1st Jas O ...
is a
youth wing A youth wing is a subsidiary, autonomous, or independently allied front of a larger organization (usually a political party but occasionally another type of organization) that is formed in order to rally support for that organization from members ...
of the Amanat party, bringing together over 100,000 young people with a focus on hard work, knowledge, and civic engagement. Originally known as Jas Otan from 2008 to 2022, the organization was renamed on 12 July 2022 following the previous rebranding of the Nur Otan party as Amanat. It began as a volunteer movement and has since grown into one of the largest youth organizations in Kazakhstan. Over time, Jastar Ruhy has been involved in shaping youth policy and has participated in various social, environmental, patriotic, and cultural initiatives, as well as charitable projects. The organization seeks to engage young people across different regions, advocate for their rights and interests, and provide opportunities for public participation and discussion.


Jer Amanaty

The Jer Amanaty commission, established under the Amanat party on 22 June 2022, focuses on reclaiming unused and illegally allocated agricultural lands, returning them to state ownership, and ensuring fair redistribution. The initiative, following the directive of President
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev Kassym-Jomart Kemeluly Tokayev (born 17 May 1953) is a Kazakhstani politician and diplomat who has served as the second president of Kazakhstan since 2019. He previously served as Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Prime Minister from 1999 to 2002 ...
, aims to make these lands available to rural communities, particularly for grazing livestock. As of 2024, over 10 million hectares of land were returned to the government, with a focus on addressing pasture shortages and preventing land degradation. The commission uses the JerKarta geoservice to provide transparency and track the location and details of the reclaimed lands.


Academy of Political Management

The Amanat Party Academy of Political Management, originally established as the Nur Otan Higher Party School in 2010, was founded following a proposal by President
Nursultan Nazarbayev Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev (born 6 July 1940) is a Kazakhstani politician who served as the first president of Kazakhstan from 1991 to 2019. He also held the special title of Elbasy from 2010 to 2022 and chairman of the Security Council of ...
to improve the professionalism of party members. Its primary goal was to enhance the qualifications of party managers through additional education programs. The school initially opened regional branches in
Aktobe Aktobe (, ; ) is a major city located on the Ilek River in western Kazakhstan. It serves as the administrative center of the Aktobe Region and is an important cultural, economic, and industrial hub in the region. As of 2023, the city has a popu ...
,
Almaty Almaty, formerly Alma-Ata, is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population exceeding two million residents within its metropolitan area. Located in the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains ...
, and
Semey Semey (; , formerly known as Semipalatinsk ( ) until 2007 and as Alash-Qala ( ) from 1917 to 1920, is a city in eastern Kazakhstan, in the Kazakh part of Siberia. When Abai Region was created in 2022, Semey became its administrative centre. I ...
in 2010–2011 to expand political education. In 2013, the school was reorganized and renamed the Nur Otan Party School of Political Management, with updated objectives and methods. Since 2016, the shift to
distance learning Distance education, also known as distance learning, is the education of students who may not always be physically present at school, or where the learner and the teacher are separated in both time and distance; today, it usually involves online ...
formats led to the closure of regional branches, and the school began offering 3-level training programs targeting party members at central, regional, and territorial levels. On 18 May 2022, following a directive from President
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev Kassym-Jomart Kemeluly Tokayev (born 17 May 1953) is a Kazakhstani politician and diplomat who has served as the second president of Kazakhstan since 2019. He previously served as Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Prime Minister from 1999 to 2002 ...
, the school was re-registered as the Amanat Party Academy of Political Management. The Academy began offering new training programs for various groups, including rural akims, women leaders, young politicians, and maslihat deputies.


Amanat Media Group

The Amanat Media Group, originally established as Nur Media on 25 November 2008 by the Amanat party, is one of Kazakhstan’s largest media companies. Initially founded in partnership with the
Samruk-Kazyna Joint-stock company «Sovereign Wealth Fund «Samruk-Kazyna» (, ), officially known as the National Welfare Fund "Samruk-Kazyna" (), is a sovereign wealth fund and joint stock company in Kazakhstan which owns, either in whole or in part, a num ...
fund, the company has grown to manage various media assets, including Astana TV, Aiqyn, Liter, ''Türkistan'' newspapers, and NS and ORDA FM radio stations. With a team of 400 journalists working nationwide, the group focuses on expanding its media presence while producing exclusive and relevant content.


Institute of Public Policy

The Institute of Public Policy, established in June 2016, serves as an analytical center for the Amanat party. It conducts research on socio-political and economic trends, monitors public sentiment, and assesses the effectiveness of government agencies in implementing strategic initiatives. The E-Analytics system supports nationwide sociological research, enhancing data-driven decision-making. The institute also facilitates feedback between the state, the party, and the public, while providing expert analysis for party activities. Committed to openness, objectivity, and practicality, it aims to be a key source of analytical insights and innovative policy approaches for Amanat.


Leadership


Party congress

The Congress serves as the supreme governing entity of the party; its legitimacy is established when all party branches are represented, with delegates elected primarily at regional branch conferences or, in certain situations, appointed by the chairman during political council meetings; during its sessions, decisions are made by a majority vote encompassing representatives from all party branches, and an extraordinary congress can be called upon the decision of the political council, the chairman, or upon the initiative of a significant majority of regional branches. The party congress is mandated to convene at least once every four years, either by the party chairman or the political council. It possesses the authoritative mandate to address and resolve all matters concerning the party's operations, with its exclusive purview encompassing pivotal tasks such as the adoption and modification of the party's charter, program, and associated documents; the election and removal of the Party Chairman; the appointment and removal of members from the political council and central control and auditing commission; the endorsement of party members for key political positions and the adjustment of electoral lists; oversight through receiving reports from the political council and the central control and auditing commission on inter-congress activities; the establishment, structure, and dissolution protocols for party governing bodies; endorsement of audit regulations; decisions regarding party reorganization or dissolution; and setting the membership fee structures.


Chairman

The Chairman of the Party holds the paramount leadership position, overseeing general management and presiding over the party congress, directing the political council and its bureau while proposing key nominations for presidential and parliamentary candidates; further responsibilities encompass appointing and dismissing party officials, coordinating with the party's parliamentary faction, ensuring the party's growth, discipline, and personnel policy, making decisions on organizational structures, representing the party domestically and internationally, issuing necessary powers of attorney, endorsing resolutions, and addressing activities outside the exclusive purview of the party congress, with additional rights including the initiation of
motion of no confidence A motion or vote of no confidence (or the inverse, a motion or vote of confidence) is a motion and corresponding vote thereon in a deliberative assembly (usually a legislative body) as to whether an officer (typically an executive) is deemed fi ...
against the government and adherence to legal and party charter mandates. Since the party's creation in 1999, the role of Executive Secretary has evolved, preceded historically by the positions of the first deputy chairman and acting chairman; currently, the chairman possesses the authority to delegate powers to the Executive Secretary, encompassing responsibilities such as managing party activities, coordinating parliamentary faction work, approving party regulations and budgets, awarding party accolades, overseeing personnel matters, chairing key meetings, making decisions aligned with the party charter, and other functions, ensuring seamless operational continuity and effective governance.


Political Council

The Political Council, serving as the supreme representative body, plays a pivotal role in guiding the party's strategic direction, encompassing tasks such as delineating activity directions in line with party congress decisions, overseeing party participation in election campaigns, sanctioning primary election rules, formulating and endorsing political statements, defining the party's stance on emerging societal issues, electing its Bureau members upon the chairman's proposal, orchestrating party congresses and intra-party discussions, and addressing other pertinent matters within its jurisdiction, while also possessing the discretion to delegate specific issues to its Bureau for further deliberation.


Bureau of the Political Council

The Bureau of the Political Council serves as a central managerial entity responsible for overseeing party operations between congresses and Political Council meetings, ensuring the implementation of decisions made by higher party bodies, addressing significant socio-economic and political matters of the republic, managing deputy mandates distribution, evaluating reports from party branches and parliamentary factions, expressing the party's stance on public affairs, convening crucial meetings, proposing candidate nominations for legislative bodies, establishing and overseeing deputy factions, determining personnel strategies, approving candidate lists for local representatives, endorsing party documents and awards, addressing membership terminations and appeals, forming specialized commissions, and making pivotal decisions on the party's organizational structure, penalties, and participation in legal entities, while also possessing the authority to rescind decisions conflicting with higher party mandates. Members #
Erlan Qoşanov Erlan Jaqanūly Qoşanov (, ; born 14 August 1962), sometimes romanized as Yerlan Koshanov, is a Kazakh politician who is serving as the member and Chairman of the Mäjilis, chairman of the Mäjilis since 2022. Prior to that, he served as the Pres ...
, party chairman and
Chairman of the Mäjilis The Chairman of the Mäjilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan (; ) is a presiding officer of the lower house Mäjilis of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, and is responsible for opening sessions, preside over regular and extraordinary ...
#
Mäulen Äşimbaev Maulen Sagatkhanovich Ashimbayev (, , , born 28 January 1971) is a Kazakh politician who is serving as a member and chairman of the Senate of Kazakhstan. He served as the First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration from 2019 to 2020, Assi ...
,
Chairman of the Senate of Kazakhstan The Chair of the Senate of Kazakhstan () is the head of the upper house of the Parliament of Kazakhstan who is responsible for opening sessions, preside over regular and extraordinary joint meetings. The post was created on 30 January 1996 at the ...
#
Älihan Smaiylov Älihan Ashanūly Smaiylov (; , ; born 18 December 1972) is a Kazakh politician who served as the prime minister of Kazakhstan from 2022 to 2024. Previously, he served as the First Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan under PM Asqar Mamin. He ...
,
Prime Minister of Kazakhstan The prime minister of Kazakhstan is the head of government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the holder of its fourth highest office, after the president of Kazakhstan, the chairman of Senate, and the chairman of Majilis. The prime minister hea ...
# Murat Nurtleu,
Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a Minister (government), government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to th ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and foreign relations, relations, diplomacy, bilateralism, ...
# Ashat Oralov, former Minister of Culture and Sports #
Darhan Qydyrali Tarkhan (, or ; ; zh, c=達干/達爾罕/答剌罕; ; ; alternative spellings ''Tarkan'', ''Tarkhaan'', ''Tarqan'', ''Tarchan'', ''Turxan'', ''Tarcan'', ''Turgan, Tárkány, Tarján, Tarxan'') is an ancient Central Asian title used by various ...
, deputy of the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
# Läzzat Qaltaeva, deputy of the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
#
Erlan Sairov Erlan Biahmetūly Sairov (, sometimes ; born 25 June 1970) is a Kazakh politician, who is serving as member of the Mäjilis from the Amanat (political party), Amanat party list since January 2021. Early life and education Erlan Sairov was born ...
, deputy of the
Mäjilis The Mäjilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan (; ), commonly shortened as Mäjilis or Mazhilis ( Kazakh Cyrillic: Мәжіліс , 'Assembly'), is the lower house of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, alongside the upper house Senate ...
# Abbat Örisabev, director of the Aktau branch of Forte Bank JSC #
Gennady Zenchenko Gennady ( rus, Геннадий, p=ɡʲɪˈnadʲɪj), also transcribed Gennadi or Gennadiy, is a Russian male name. It is derived from the Greek given name Γεννάδιος (Gennadios), latinized Gennadius. People *Gennady Dobrokhotov, Soviet b ...
, director of Zenchenko & K # Maksim Rozhin, deputy of the
Mäjilis The Mäjilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan (; ), commonly shortened as Mäjilis or Mazhilis ( Kazakh Cyrillic: Мәжіліс , 'Assembly'), is the lower house of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, alongside the upper house Senate ...
#
Elina Masagutova Elina may refer to: * ''Elina'' (butterfly), a genus of butterflies in the family Nymphalidae *Elina (Epirus), an ancient Greek fortified town in the region of Epirus *Elina (given name) Elina is a feminine given name in various languages. it is ...
, director of the Republican State Institution "Qogamdyq Kelisim"


Central Office

The Central Office serves as the coordinating hub for the party's structural subdivisions and branches, offering comprehensive support encompassing information, analysis, organizational logistics, and legal assistance while ensuring the implementation of directives from the chairman, executive secretary, and other party leadership; its operational guidelines and staffing decisions are set by the Executive Secretary, who also oversees employment matters in compliance with Kazakh labour and social security regulations.


Ideology

The Amanat party positions itself as a "party of people" committed to the development of Kazakhstan as a democratic, economically strong, and
secular state is an idea pertaining to secularity, whereby a state is or purports to be officially neutral in matters of religion, supporting neither religion nor irreligion. A secular state claims to treat all its citizens equally regardless of relig ...
. It aims to build a competitive political system and foster robust civil society institutions. The party’s ideology is rooted in advocating for political and economic reforms that cater to national needs, such as supporting
small and medium-sized businesses Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) or small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are businesses whose personnel and revenue numbers fall below certain limits. The abbreviation "SME" is used by many national agencies and international organizat ...
, enhancing
public welfare Welfare spending is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifically to social insurance p ...
, and promoting interethnic and interfaith harmony. Amanat also seeks to represent the interests of citizens at all levels of government, engaging in legislative activity that promotes sustainable, democratic change. Amanat party is often described as a " big tent party", encompassing a broad spectrum of political views under its umbrella. The party officially has a
centrist Centrism is the range of political ideologies that exist between left-wing politics and right-wing politics on the left–right political spectrum. It is associated with moderate politics, including people who strongly support moderate policie ...
ideology, with a blend of
liberalism Liberalism is a Political philosophy, political and moral philosophy based on the Individual rights, rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality, the right to private property, and equality before the law. ...
,
social conservatism Social conservatism is a political philosophy and a variety of conservatism which places emphasis on Tradition#In political and religious discourse, traditional social structures over Cultural pluralism, social pluralism. Social conservatives ...
, and elements of
social democracy Social democracy is a Social philosophy, social, Economic ideology, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achi ...
. It supports significant emphasis on
youth empowerment Youth empowerment is a process where children and young people are encouraged to take charge of their lives. They do this by addressing their situation and then take action in order to improve their access to resources and transform their consciou ...
, encouraging their integration into the social and economic spheres. Amanat also seeks to advance
anti-corruption Anti-corruption (or anticorruption) comprises activities that oppose or inhibit corruption. Just as corruption takes many forms, anti-corruption efforts vary in scope and in strategy. A general distinction between preventive and reactive measur ...
initiatives, focusing on the promotion of public control over governmental activities and encouraging greater
civic participation Civic engagement or civic participation is any individual or group activity addressing issues of public concern. Civic engagement includes communities working together or individuals working alone in both political and non-political actions to ...
. Ultimately, the party strives to strengthen the democratic values and institutional frameworks of Kazakhstan to improve the
quality of life Quality of life (QOL) is defined by the World Health Organization as "an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards ...
for its citizens. Amanat's core values are encapsulated in its 2013 doctrine that defines the party as "the dominant political force that consolidates society and ensures the implementation of the state course of Elbasy", which underscores
national sovereignty A nation state, or nation-state, is a political entity in which the state (a centralized political organization ruling over a population within a territory) and the nation (a community based on a common identity) are (broadly or ideally) co ...
,
self-determination Self-determination refers to a people's right to form its own political entity, and internal self-determination is the right to representative government with full suffrage. Self-determination is a cardinal principle in modern international la ...
,
stability Stability may refer to: Mathematics *Stability theory, the study of the stability of solutions to differential equations and dynamical systems ** Asymptotic stability ** Exponential stability ** Linear stability **Lyapunov stability ** Marginal s ...
, and the creation of a strong
middle class The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. C ...
. The party advocates for the
rule of law The essence of the rule of law is that all people and institutions within a Body politic, political body are subject to the same laws. This concept is sometimes stated simply as "no one is above the law" or "all are equal before the law". Acco ...
,
equality Equality generally refers to the fact of being equal, of having the same value. In specific contexts, equality may refer to: Society * Egalitarianism, a trend of thought that favors equality for all people ** Political egalitarianism, in which ...
,
justice In its broadest sense, justice is the idea that individuals should be treated fairly. According to the ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'', the most plausible candidate for a core definition comes from the ''Institutes (Justinian), Inst ...
, and
equal opportunity Equal opportunity is a state of fairness in which individuals are treated similarly, unhampered by artificial barriers, prejudices, or preferences, except when particular distinctions can be explicitly justified. For example, the intent of equal ...
for all citizens. Furthermore, it is dedicated to preserving Kazakhstan's
family values Family values, sometimes referred to as familial values, are traditional or cultural values that pertain to the family's structure, function, roles, beliefs, attitudes, and ideals. Additionally, the concept of family values may be understood ...
and
cultural identity Cultural identity is a part of a person's identity (social science), identity, or their self-conception and self-perception, and is related to nationality, ethnicity, religion, social class, generation, Locality (settlement), locality, gender, o ...
, including the promotion of the
Kazakh language Kazakh is a Turkic language of the Kipchak branch spoken in Central Asia by Kazakhs. It is closely related to Nogai, Kyrgyz and Karakalpak. It is the official language of Kazakhstan, and has official status in the Altai Republic of Russia ...
, while respecting the diverse ethnic groups that make up the country. In terms of economic and environmental policies, the party emphasizes
economic diversification Economic diversity or economic diversification refers to variations in the economic status or the use of a broad range of economic activities in a region or country. Diversification is used as a strategy to encourage positive economic growth and d ...
, the protection of
private property Private property is a legal designation for the ownership of property by non-governmental Capacity (law), legal entities. Private property is distinguishable from public property, which is owned by a state entity, and from Collective ownership ...
, and the adoption of energy-efficient technologies. It also focuses on ensuring that social assistance reaches vulnerable groups within society. On the international stage, Amanat follows a Multi-Vector Policy, seeking to balance Kazakhstan's interests across a broad range of international relationships, positioning the country as an active global participant.


Electoral history


Presidential elections


Mazhilis elections


Party leadership elections


See also

* Zhas Otan


Notes


References


External links


Official website
(Kazakh, Russian, English) {{Kazakhstani political parties Political parties in Kazakhstan Political parties established in 1999 1999 establishments in Kazakhstan Eurosceptic parties Nationalist parties in Kazakhstan Organizations that oppose LGBTQ rights in Asia