Crossroads Asia | Politics | Central Asia
Kazakhstan’s new unicameral parliament voted in favor of appointing the leader of the Adilet party, a close confidant of President Tokayev, as its first chairman.
One of the first points of action when Kazakhstan’s new unicameral parliament met for the first time on August 28 was the election of its speaker from among the 145 elected parliamentarians. The choice almost unanimously fell on the leader of the Adilet party, Aibek Dadebay, who had already been nominated for the position in advance by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Adilet won more than 70 percent of the vote during the election, making it by far the largest party in the Kurultai with 110 seats.
The new speaker has worked as an academic and diplomat over the past 25 years, most recently working within the country’s presidential administration. His career has been shaped by Tokayev, with whom he has worked since 2013, when the now-president chaired the Kazakh Senate.
