ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will participate in the fourth meeting of the National Kurultai (Congress) on March 14 in Burabai, reported Akorda. He will deliver a speech, while members of the Kurultai will present their proposals on current public issues. Previous meetings took place in Ulytau, Turkistan, and Atyrau.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the first Kurultai in Ulytau. Photo credit: Akorda
Established in 2022, the National Kurultai is a national discussion platform for citizen participation in governance. It aims to bridge the gap between regional concerns and central government decisions, ensuring diverse public opinions are heard.
The concept of a kurultai has deep historical roots, dating back to times when Kazakh leaders convened to make crucial decisions. After the Talas Kurultai, the Golden Horde became an independent state. The congresses in Karakum and Ordabasy united the Kazakh people to defend the country. At the first Kazakh Kurultai in Orenburg, the Alash party was formed, and at the second, the Alash autonomy was proclaimed.
Since independence, the World Kurultai of Kazakhs has been held every five years, uniting the Kazakh diaspora.
The first Kurultai in 2022 in Ulytau focused on national interests, including laws on peaceful assemblies and the share of women and youth in party lists for elections. A key outcome was restoring Republic Day as a national holiday.
The second meeting in June 2023 in Turkistan addressed state symbols, cultural values, and the creative industry.
In March 2024, the third Kurultai in Atyrau covered various topics, from social trends to business development. It criticized excessive monument-building and the influence of non-traditional religious movements.
The National Kurultai has influenced key legislative changes, including the law on women’s and children’s rights protection, amendments on gambling addiction and drug-related crimes, a ban on vape production and sales, amendments on onomastics, heraldry, and state awards, the law on tougher penalties for vandalism, and the law on the accrual of funds to children from the National Fund.
