Uzbekistan’s president congratulates Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Qurultay elections

Regional leaders have begun extending formal congratulations following a political exercise in Central Asia, where polls opened on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026, according to reporting from Thespec. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev congratulated Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on the successful holding of elections to the country’s renewed parliament, the Qurultay, the Qazinform News Agency reported, citing the Uzbek leader's press service.

The ballot marks the country’s first elections to a new, single-chamber parliament called the Kurultai. Concurrently, reporting on Kazakhstan's Adilet party wins highlights the anticipated political dominance of the ruling pro-presidential faction.

Media additions

In a letter to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the President of Uzbekistan described the vote as a historic event. According to Qazinform, Mirziyoyev stated that the election marks the beginning of a new stage in improving Kazakhstan’s political system, enhancing public administration efficiency, and strengthening the role of parliament.

"Active citizen participation in the elections is a clear confirmation of broad public support for the deep constitutional and socio-political reforms carried out under the leadership of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and aimed at ensuring Kazakhstan’s sustainable development and further enhancing its standing and influence on the international stage,"

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of Uzbekistan, via Qazinform

The voting process is expected to further strengthen Tokayev’s grip on power in Central Asia’s largest nation, Thespec reported. The ruling pro-presidential Adilet party was widely predicted to win an overwhelming majority, alongside several smaller loyalist parties. Tokayev justified the constitutional changes by citing the need for rapid decision-making amid geopolitical tensions and Western sanctions on Russia.

However, the political transition has faced scrutiny over economic strains and civil liberties. Thespec noted that inflation hit 10.2% in February, and tax hikes have fueled public discontent. Analysts suggest authorities are wary of a repeat of the January 2022 unrest. At the same time, independent journalists have reported an intensified crackdown on press freedom, with multiple criminal cases opened against reporters and bloggers ahead of the poll.

Regional leaders have rallied behind the process. In addition to Uzbekistan's message, the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Sadyr Zhaparov, and the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, also congratulated Tokayev on successfully conducting the first elections to the new parliament, according to Qazinform.

Key Developments Surrounding the Qurultay Elections

• Constitutional Referendum: Supported by 87% of voters in March, merging parliament into a single chamber and granting expanded executive powers.
• Term Reset: A ruling by Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Court last month opened the door for Tokayev to run for another seven-year term.
• International Recognition: Formal congratulatory messages delivered by the leaders of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Azerbaijan.
• Media Climate: Independent media organizations report mounting pressure, including criminal investigations into journalists and commentators.

Diplomatic channels between Tashkent and Astana remain robust. Mirziyoyev expressed confidence that close cooperation between the parliaments of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan will reach a new level within their strategic partnership, wishing success to Tokayev and prosperity to the Kazakh people.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who is 73 and a former Soviet official and Kazakh diplomat who previously worked at the United Nations, has been in office since 2019. Tokayev described the vote as a truly historic event, noting ahead of the poll that the election would be remembered as perhaps the most interesting in the country's history. He emphasized that amid unprecedented geopolitical tensions and mounting global challenges, the nation must firmly and consistently implement its strategy to transform Kazakhstan into a truly developed state.

The elections took place against a backdrop of intensifying crackdowns on press freedom. Media organizations urged Tokayev to drop criminal charges against several journalists currently under house arrest and to revise legislation to ensure press freedom. Authorities opened roughly 10 criminal cases against independent journalists and popular bloggers. Lukpan Akhmedyarov, an independent journalist who hosts the YouTube project "Prosto Zhurnalistika", or Simply Journalism, told The Associated Press that a criminal case was opened against him in August on charges of disseminating false information after publishing a list of Kazakhstani citizens fighting in Ukraine, and that he faces up to seven years in prison.

Akhmedyarov stated that repression intensified sharply in the run-up to the parliamentary elections, with attacks on independent media, cyberattacks, and criminal cases launched against independent journalists and popular bloggers, adding that the streets of Kazakhstan's major cities were flooded with advertisements and posters for the pro-presidential Adilet party, making it easy to predict the outcome. Meanwhile, Mirziyoyev stated that Uzbekistan was sincerely pleased with the significant results of the large-scale transformations taking place in Kazakhstan, emphasizing the longstanding friendship and good-neighborly relations between the two nations.