ASTANA – A nationally televised debate on education dominated Kazakhstan’s election campaign during the week of Aug. 3-9. Representatives of the country’s seven political parties outlined their visions for reforming the education system during the two-and-a-half-hour broadcast.
Representatives of the seven political parties competing in Kazakhstan’s Kurultai elections participate in a nationally televised debate broadcast by TV7. Photo credit: TV7 Telegram channel
The debate consisted of four segments. Party representatives first presented their election platforms and questioned one another in an open discussion. The second segment focused on education reform, with candidates responding to questions submitted through social media. During the third round, audience members in the studio posed questions before candidates concluded the event with final appeals to voters.
Viewers also voted online for the most convincing performance. The Adilet party received 45.48% of the vote, followed by Auyl with 15.58% and Respublica with 12.01%. The Nationwide Social Democratic Party (NSDP) placed fourth with 9.71%, followed by the Aq Jol Democratic Party (7.98%), the People’s Party of Kazakhstan (6.96%) and Baytaq Green Party (1.58%). Another 0.7% of viewers said none of the participants had been convincing. A total of 73,628 people took part in the online poll.
Meanwhile, parties continued campaigning across the country, promoting proposals on rural development, healthcare, business support and social inclusion.
Adilet Party
The Adilet campaigned in the West Kazakhstan, Zhambyl, Kyzylorda and Kostanai regions, meeting residents in district centers as well as remote villages. The public raised concerns about road conditions, water supply, public utilities and social infrastructure. Poor mobile phone coverage and limited internet access in rural communities were recurring issues.
Party representatives said their election platform aims to provide high-quality internet access to at least 97% of Kazakhstan’s more than 6,000 rural settlements through a combination of mobile and fixed-line technologies.
Auyl Party
The Auyl party continued meetings with rural residents and agricultural workers, focusing on job creation, infrastructure development, modern farming technologies and measures to encourage young professionals to remain in rural areas.
The party representatives said all proposals and concerns raised during the meetings had been documented for follow-up.
Food security was another key topic. According to the party, ensuring national food security depends not only on agricultural production but also on efficient storage, processing, market access and affordable distribution. The representatives said strengthening every stage of the supply chain is essential for improving the country’s food security.
Aq Jol Democratic Party
The party met with manufacturing companies and logistics businesses in Almaty and the Almaty Region.
Discussions focused on creating a more favorable environment for domestic manufacturing and reducing administrative burdens on businesses. The party emphasized the need to encourage investment in the real economy and expand procurement opportunities for Kazakh producers.
The party also highlighted support for small and medium-sized businesses, job creation, investment attraction and the protection of workers’ rights.
Baytaq Green Party
In addition to its daily meetings with voters, the party organized an environmental cleanup campaign in Oskemen.
Volunteers collected household, construction and bulky waste in the Berezovaya Roshcha area along the Irtysh River and near the protected water zone in the Kulenovka neighborhood. Organizers said 140 bags of waste were removed.
Nationwide Social Democratic Party
The NSDP organized an Inclusive Forum in Astana, bringing together families, experts and advocates to discuss systemic challenges related to inclusion and the protection of the rights of people with disabilities.
The forum featured panel discussions, expert sessions and interactive workshops designed for children and adults with physical and intellectual disabilities. Participants also received free legal and social consultations from specialists and party representatives.
The event placed particular emphasis on early diagnosis, rehabilitation and social adaptation for children with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities. The NSDP also presented legislative proposals aimed at improving inclusion and quality of life.
People’s Party of Kazakhstan
Candidates from the party met with healthcare professionals in Semei to present its healthcare proposals.
The party pledged stronger labor protections for medical workers, including the creation of a national AI-powered medical quality control system designed to reduce bureaucracy and improve healthcare oversight. It also proposed higher salaries, particularly for rural doctors.
Other initiatives include targeted training programs based on regional workforce needs and expanded support for medical graduates through relocation grants, employer-provided housing and preferential mortgage programs.
For patients, the party proposed creating a unified digital health portal that would provide secure access to medical records, test results, prescriptions and treatment history. According to the party, the system would protect personal data, improve transparency and prevent unauthorized changes to medical records. It also called for greater transparency in the Social Health Insurance Fund and the expansion of palliative care services, particularly for children with severe illnesses.
Respublica Party
The Respublica held two major public forums in Shymkent on Aug. 7 and Almaty on Aug. 8, where party leaders reviewed the results of the party’s three and a half years of activity.
The party also focused its campaign on visits to manufacturing enterprises, arguing that industrial development is essential for creating jobs, increasing household incomes and strengthening the national economy.
According to the party, meetings at production facilities provide direct insight into workers’ concerns and help translate practical challenges into policy solutions.
Voting to the Kurultai, the country’s new unicameral parliament, is due on Aug. 23.
