Kurultai (Kazakhstan)

Background

The term kurultai originates from Turkic and Mongolic languages, derived from the verbal root qur- or quri- meaning "to gather" or "to assemble" The suffix -tai or -tay denotes a collective or formal gathering, giving the term the meaning of a "great assembly" or "national council". Historically, kurultai referred to councils of political and military leaders convened in nomadic and semi-nomadic societies of the Eurasian steppe, including those in the territory of present-day Kazakhstan.^[2][3]

In steppe political tradition, assemblies identified as kurultai were associated with large-scale decision-making among ruling elites. Such gatherings are often linked in historical sources to the Mongol imperial period, when they were used for matters such as the proclamation of rulers and coordination of military campaigns. Similar forms of council-based decision-making also existed in later Turkic polities, including the Kazakh Khanate (15th–18th centuries), where khans, sultans, and biys, and clan elders convened to address matters of war, peace, customary law, and inter-tribal relations.^[4][5] In Kazakh history, such assemblies were convened periodically during major political or military crises, including coordination efforts against external threats in the 18th century. These councils functioned as consultative and consensus-based institutions rather than permanent legislatures.^[6][7]

Following incorporation into the Russian Empire in the 19th century and subsequent Soviet administration in the 20th century, traditional steppe governance structures ceased to operate as formal political institutions. In the early 20th century, national congresses associated with the Alash national liberation movement briefly revived the idea of collective assemblies in a modern political context, but these were replaced by Soviet administrative systems.^[6]

After Kazakhstan gained independence in 1991, the country adopted a new constitutional framework in 1995 establishing a bicameral Parliament of Kazakhstan consisting of the Senate and the Mäjilis.^[8] This system functioned as the national legislature until its dissolution in 2026.^[9]

Establishing

In 2026, following a constitutional reform approved by national referendum, Kazakhstan restructured its legislative branch into a unicameral parliament named the Kurultai. The reform abolished the previous bicameral parliament and established the Kurultai as the sole legislative body of the Republic of Kazakhstan, adopting a historical term to designate the new institution.^[1][10][11] The Constitutional Law "On the Kurultai of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Status of Its Deputies" was subsequently ratified by Parliament and signed into law by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on 5 June 2026.^[12] The law established the structure, powers, electoral system, and status of deputies of the new legislature and entered into force on 1 July 2026, simultaneously with the new constitution, formally establishing the Kurultai as Kazakhstan's national legislature.

Chairman

The Kurultai is headed by the Chairman. He is elected by secret ballot from among the deputies who are fluent in the Kazakh language by a majority vote of the total number of Kurultai deputies. The President nominates the Chairman; if the Kurultai refuses to elect the Chairman twice, the President has the right to dissolve the Kurultai.^[13]

Deputy Chairman

The Deputy Chairmen are elected by the deputies of the Kurultai, and their candidacies are proposed by the Chairmen themselves.^[13]