Kazakhstan’s Senate elects its speaker

Maulen Ashimbayev, a member of the Senate, the upper house of Kazakhstan’s parliament, has been re-elected as the chamber’s speaker.

The candidacy of Ashimbayev was proposed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who took part in the first Senate meeting after the house elections in the middle of January.

Ashimbayev did exceptionally well as the speaker, according to the president.

«As you all know, I have appointed Maulen Ashimbayev as the Senate deputy. Now, in accordance with item 1, article 58 of the constitution, I am proposing the candidacy of Maulen Ashimbayev for the position of speaker of the Senate,» Tokayev said during the meeting.

While explaining his choice, Tokayev noted that Ashimbayev is very good at law making and his work experience in the sphere of public administration is tremendous. Therefore, he is the best candidate to be the chamber’s speaker, the president said.

Later, Ashimbayev was anonymously elected speaker by 50 senators who took part in a secret ballot.

Ashimbayev, 51, had already served as the Senate’s speaker from May 2020 to January 2023. At the time, he was appointed senator by the president and chosen speaker when Dariga Nazarbayev, the oldest daughter of the ex-president Nazarbayev, left this position.

On January 24, President Tokayev discharged 13 senators due to the elections. Four of them have been reappointed once again. Those are Maulen Ashimbayev, Nurtore Zhussip, Lyazzat Kaltayeva and Askar Shakirov.

Nine senators left the upper house completely: Vladimir Volkov, Bakytzhan Zhumagulov, Kairat Kozhamzharov, Mukhtar Kul-Mukhammed, Talgat Musabayev, Dana Nurzhigitova, Kanatbek Safinov, Lyazzat Suleimen and Serikbay Trumov. Zhakip Asanov, former chairman of the Supreme Court, has become a senator for the first time.

The process of forming a new structure of the Senate was completed after the Senate elections, although the president assigned several senators by his edict.